OXNARD : Bare-Bones Budget of $126 Million OKd

The Oxnard City Council approved a $126-million budget Wednesday that includes $1.1 million from the city’s reserve fund and forces the phasing out of about 70 city jobs.

The city was forced to institute the bare-bones budget for the two-year period beginning July 1 because of a $4.88-million shortfall in the city’s general fund.

Officials say the city has come up short because of a series of unexpected expenditures coupled with increased costs imposed by the county for such services as booking prisoners.

“We knew this was coming for the past nine months at least,” Councilwoman Dorothy Maron said.

“I don’t think anyone is happy with the things we had to do. I’m certainly not happy, but it was a question of biting the bullet.”

Maron said she hopes that the jobs can be eliminated through attrition. “Hopefully, we won’t have to lay off anybody,” she said.

Maron said it was especially painful to cut funding for the South Oxnard Center after January, 1993. The center opened less than two years ago to offer programs for low-income youths and senior citizens.

Maron said she hopes that its building can be leased to another organization, such as the YMCA, which would continue offering the same type of programs.

Also on the list to lose city funds are the Colonia Boxing Center, a bus service used to transport senior citizens to shopping centers and doctor’s offices, and an athletic program for low-income children.

Maron said council members carefully considered which programs to cut.

“We asked every department to take a look to see where cuts could be made, and then we kept having meetings until it was hammered out,” she said.