Huntington Beach : $97.5-Million Budget Given OK by Council

City officials approved a $97.5-million budget which reflects a 3% increase from last year but added warnings that federal funding sources may soon dry up.

The biggest expenditure, as is the case with most cities, was for police at about $19 million, followed by public works at $16 million and another $10 million for the Fire Department. In addition to the $67.7-million general fund budget, the City Council unanimously approved $31.2 million for various “restricted-use” funds, including redevelopment and flood control.

The future looks bleak for federal revenue-sharing funds, which President Reagan has said will end in October. Senior budget analyst Jim Lewis said the city has used those funds--amounting to $1.5 million annually--only to replace equipment so no salaries or other areas would be affected by a cutoff. He added that the budget projected a surplus for the third consecutive year, with an anticipated carry-over of about $4 million.