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. Yorba Linda

Slight Decrease in ‘Status Quo’ Plan

This time last year, Yorba Linda’s City Council adopted what amounted to a two-year budget. At a meeting last month, the council did only minor tinkering with this year’s $24.5-million “status quo” spending plan before giving its approval again, said Gordon Vessey, Yorba Linda’s finance director.

The budget figure this year represents only a slight decrease from last year’s $25.6 million. While two new employees are being added to the city payroll, there will be a slight decrease in capital improvements expenditures, Vessey said.