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. Seal Beach

Slight Surplus, Even With Spending Increase

Seal Beach officials this year have weighed in with a slight budget surplus, despite plans for increased spending.

According to City Manager Robert Nelson, expenditures this year will total $14.42 million, up slightly over last year’s $14 million, while the city should see about $14.45 in revenue.

Among the items contributing to the spending hike are increased employee compensation expenditures and a $126,000 rise in the city’s service contract with the Orange County Fire Department. In addition, Nelson said, the city is creating the position of water utility officer, and it is spending $16,000 to replace the revolvers of Seal Beach’s 41 police officers.

To help offset the budget increase, the city is reducing its part-time lifeguard staff by 11%, “which allows us to continue the same level of service for the summer but cut back the level of service during the off-season,” Nelson said.

In addition, the positions of engineering assistant and assistant city manager are being eliminated, to be replaced by less costly job descriptions: engineering aide and assistant to the city manager.

Despite the budget surplus, Nelson said, this is the first year that revenues have hit a plateau. “We’re going to have to be very much constrained in the upcoming years,” he said.