ANAHEIM : Council Approves $531-Million Budget

Day care will cost more but there will be more police protection in Anaheim under the city’s $531-million 1990-91 budget, which was approved by the City Council on Tuesday night.

In the first major increase in the past decade, the Police Department will receive $2.9 million extra this year, which is a 7% jump in their current operating fund. Chief Joseph T. Molloy said the money is the first step in a plan to provide the city with additional service.

“It’s small compared to our budget, but to us it’s a tremendous start,” Molloy said.

The police staff will hire 18 new officers, who will be distributed in patrols, and in teams combatting narcotics and drunk driving. Four of those officers and one sergeant will begin a new community policing team that will work in targeted neighborhoods that need extra protection, similar to the pilot program in the Jeffrey-Lynne neighborhood, Molloy said.

The city’s budget decreased by $9 million from last year but is still the largest in the county. Santa Ana, which has a budget about half the size, is second. While Anaheim is the largest city in the county, its budget is still greatly oversized because its city-owned utility company accounts for about half of the funds.

This year, the city will also benefit from the nearly $33-million settlement in its lawsuit against the Anaheim Hilton and Towers. Most of the settlement will be retained in a reserve fund.

Despite the increased funds in some areas, residents will see increases in the costs of nearly every program offered through the city parks, recreation and community service department.

Extended day care during the school year will cost up to $35 a month more, and weeklong holiday day care camps will be increased by up to $15 a session.

Nearly every personal improvement and speciality class offered through the city--from computer training to photography--will cost a few dollars more.

In addition, it will cost more to rent most of the city athletic fields, golf courses, community meeting rooms and gymnasiums under the new budget.

The budget needs to be approved by the start of the fiscal year, July 1.