Pomona OKs 3.7% Spending Cut in Budget

A 3.7% across- the-board spending cut has been approved by the City Council in an attempt to reduce its proposed $38-million budget for fiscal 1985-86.

The reduction is needed to bridge a shortfall created by the cancellation of plans for a citywide assessment district after more than 1,000 angry residents and property owners registered objections to the idea at a public hearing two weeks ago.

The council previously had approved a budget that was contingent on $1.6 million in expected revenue from the street lighting and landscape maintenance assessment district.

Assistant City Administrator Bridget Distelrath said the 3.7% cut will be handled mostly by attrition of city employees, and is likely to be noticeable to the public in the form of a “slower response time” to requests for services from City Hall. She said department heads will make monthly reports to the council on the progress of budget trimming until the 3.7% goal is reached.