Salinas budget doesn’t quite reach pre-recession levels, but revives many flailing services.

City budget hearings can be pretty dull as presenters drone on through slides of pie charts, asking for money for sidewalk repairs, new cars and office supplies. The Salinas budget hearing May 26 included all of that, but it also felt a little bit like Christmas morning: After years of cuts and layoffs, the budget is back on a trajectory of growth.

“It will be amazing in the next three or four years to see a turnaround in this city,” Councilwoman Jyl Lutes said.

City Council will vote on the proposed $185 million budget June 9, and councilmembers voiced their views at the May 26 hearing. All leaned strongly in favor, except Jose Castañeda, who said he will not support a budget that skews toward the police department.

“Sorry, chief,” Castañeda said. “When you look at [crime] prevention, it’s music, dance, theater.”

The budget include an estimated $22 million in additional revenue from Measure G, a 1-cent sales tax hike voters approved in November.

The police department is the largest recipient of city funds, getting 43 percent overall. It also receives 54 percent of Measure G funds, which will support the hiring of 15 new officers, three records clerks and a crime analyst. It will also allow the department to purchase a new $1 million records database and system.

In addition, Measure G will pay for six new recreational program workers, doubling the city’s current rec staff. Similarly, it will double the number of code enforcement officers from three to six, enabling the city to revise its policy of only responding to complaints, rather than proactively seeking out violations. Public Works will create a new division of wastewater and energy.

Pre-recession, in 2006-07, Salinas had a staff of 671; currently, it’s 511. The proposed budget will bring it up to 591.

“We’re not quite back to the staffing levels we were at,” Finance Director Matt Pressey said, “but it is a good, healthy increase.”