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. Irvine

Recovery From Deficit Allows 38 More Workers

The city of Irvine has recovered from last year’s threatened $3-million budget deficit to a point where officials can afford to hire 38 new employees, Asistant City Manager Paul Brady Jr. said.

The turnaround, reflected in this year’s $51.7-million budget, has been due primarily to a surge in revenue generated by sales taxes from new retail businesses, Brady said.

The city will hire 10 new public safety employees--mostly police officers--and 10 more maintainance workers to improve such services as street and landscape maintenance, Brady said. Another 18 people will be hired throughout five city departments.

“There are no reductions in existing service levels,” said Brady, “and in some cases there are enhancements.”