San Diego

City Manager John Lockwood said Tuesday that the city has nearly $4 million left over from last fiscal year, a financial windfall that would allow council members to restore most of the wetlands acquisition fund that they cut during budget sessions two months ago.

During deliberations in July on the city’s 1987-88 budget, council members drew the ire of environmentalists and Councilwoman Abbe Wolfsheimer by taking $4.5 million earmarked for buying wetlands and diverting it to other purposes. Lockwood suggested the move, warning council members at the time that revenues to the city could be lower than expected.

But after the city closed its books from the past fiscal year, which ended June 30, it found $3.95 million left over, Lockwood said Tuesday. Such windfalls are not unusual, he said, adding that the city carried over $11 million from the year before.

Asked if the money would be put back into the empty wetlands fund, the city manager said, “I think that’s what we may well do, but it is up to the council.”