Local News in Brief : 13 City Jobs Expendable

The Huntington Park City Council voted Monday to eliminate 13 city jobs--including two police officer positions--and to cut back on janitorial and other services to help offset revenue losses due to setbacks in the city’s redevelopment program.

In addition, the council tentatively approved borrowing as much as $2.1 million against sales tax revenue and other funds it expects to receive by June 30, the end of the fiscal year. The council is expected to vote to borrow the money at a special meeting today.

Project delays have left the city’s Redevelopment Agency unable to meet its $4.4-million annual debt service, said Redevelopment Director James Funk.

Huntington Park is using $1.4 million in sales tax revenue--money that would pay for salaries and other general city expenses--to meet the bond payments.

The city is deficit-spending at a rate of about $300,000 a month, said Chief Administrative Officer Donald Jeffers. The cuts will save the city $80,464 a month, and the loan will offset the shortfall until property and sales tax revenue from redevelopment projects increases next year, he said.