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. Brea

Redevelopment Adds to Financial Fitness

With more than one-fourth of its budget revenue coming from its downtown redevelopment area, the city of Brea is financially fit, City Manager Edward G. Wohlenberg said.

This year’s budget of nearly $38 million is up about 8% from last year, Wohlenberg said. More than $10 million of that money comes from the city’s redevelopment program.

“It’s a major source of funding for Brea,” he said. “We’re able to get a lot of things done with that money,” such as improve parks and streets.