CITY BUDGETS : Budget-Balancing Deadline Sends Some Cities Scurrying

In Santa Ana, a city financial squeeze means that 90 positions are being eliminated from the city payroll. But the budget for tiny Villa Park, Orange County’s smallest city, is rising 60% this year--thanks entirely to capital spending on road improvements. And in Irvine, last year’s deficit crisis is nearly forgotten and 38 employees will be added to the city payroll.

In most cities where spending is up, it is for increases in public safety personnel or road improvements. But whether the numbers are rising or falling, the story at city halls throughout Orange County is essentially the same: it is budget-balancing time.

The new fiscal year for California’s cities began Friday, and legally they were required to have had their budgets balanced and approved by the night before. However, several Orange County cities are still working with proposed budgets, including Fullerton, which is scheduled to approve its spending plan tonight.

Following is a city-by-city look at the budget picture in each of the county’s 27 cities. Los Alamitos

Business License Fees Increase 50%

When the Los Alamitos City Council passed the city’s new budget last week, it also voted to hike business license fees 50% to $75, partly compensating for the budget’s 10% jump over last year.

The city will spend $6.4 million in the coming year, up from $5.8 million last year, said Gerard Goedhart, assistant city manager. “Our basic operations are the same,” he added.

Street maintenance will be a top priority this year, Goedhart said. “Our neighborhood streets are in need of attention, so we’re taking $300,000 from our general fund to begin repair of (these) streets,” he said. “It does show that the city is in good financial condition.”