Santa Monica : $163.1-Million Budget

The council Tuesday night adopted a $163.1-million city budget for 1990-91, increasing spending by $2.9 million and revenues by $4.9 million from the budget originally proposed by City Manager John Jalili.

The school district is to receive about $1.5 million from the city, $1 million more than what the city manager proposed.

The council also added $150,000 to install lockers and showers at the restroom facilities at the parking lot north of the pier.

An additional $250,000 was allocated to replace the city’s parking meters in retail areas to accept a variety of coins, rather than just quarters. Some residents had complained that while looking for quarters to feed the meters, they were often ticketed.

The budget contains a $500,000 allocation for hiring seven additional police officers and a $250,000 item for rent subsidies for low-income tenants through a program still to be developed.

The city plans to raise additional revenue by increasing the utility user tax from 8% to 9.5%, generating $2.4 million annually, but only $1.5 million in the next fiscal year because the fee will not take effect until November. Trash collection fees will increase 12%, effective July 1, and the city also plans to increase water connection fees and water service rates.