PLACENTIA : Budget Trims Cable, 2 Police Positions

City officials have proposed a lean $20.7-million budget for fiscal 1991-92 that trims some programs while adding new positions, such as an environmental coordinator.

The budget calls for a 10.5% overall increase in spending. Most of that increase will go to Redevelopment Agency low- and moderate-income assistance programs and payments on bond debts for new facilities, such as sewers and water lines in east Placentia.

The general fund budget, which pays for the day-to-day operations of the city, will rise only 3% while inflation has gone up 4% or 5%, said Howard L. Longballa, Placentia’s finance director.

As a result, money is tight, and the budget calls for scrapping the city’s cable television programming division and eliminating two police officer positions through attrition.

“It is really a hold-the-line budget, in some cases it is below the line,” Longballa said.

The cable television division, which pays for programming and staff on the city’s cable television channel, would be eliminated primarily because of the lack of joint funding with the Placentia Unified School District. If the cuts are approved, it is possible that City Council meetings would no longer be broadcast, Longballa said.

The budget also calls for adding a new drug education officer, to be paid for through a share of the assets police seize during narcotic raids. In addition, an environmental coordinator will be added to oversee new waste, air-quality and growth-management plans required by the state and county.

A new drain on city coffers is nearly $250,000 in increased county fire protection costs and new jail booking and property tax collection fees.

Revenue to the city is projected to increase from $16.4 million this year to $19.9 million in fiscal 1991-92.

The revenue going to the general fund is expected to rise 7% to $12.8 million. City officials expect much of that increase to come from development in east Placentia, including building and engineering permits and taxes from the resale of homes.

The City Council will discuss the budget at a study session Tuesday.