ORANGE : Budget, Water Fee Hike to Be Studied

A public hearing on the city’s spending plan for 1991-92 will be held tonight in City Council chambers.

The council will consider a $79-million budget that projects some economic growth but has left open the possibility of dipping into the city’s $10.5-million reserve fund to close a $2-million shortfall.

The budget also proposes an 18% increase in residential water rates, a hiring freeze that would save the city $900,000 and increases in development fees for parks, police and fire facilities.

Since an informal hiring freeze went into effect in May, about 20 city positions have gone unfilled, including a Fire Department battalion chief, maintenance workers, and clerks in the police, administrative and finance departments.

Freezing these spots will save the city about $774,000 next year, and City Manager Ron Thompson wants to hold additional openings to save $900,000.

The council is also expected to choose from one of three plans to raise water rates.

Fees have not been raised since 1985, and the water department has asked the council to approve an 18% increase, or 2.5% for every year since the last increase.

The result would be a $4.90 increase in a typical customer’s bimonthly water bill.

Under a second plan, very conservative water users would see an increase of about $1.30 every two months while average customers would see an increase of about $4.40 bimonthly.

A third plan would raise rates in July and again next January.

The budget hearing will be part of tonight’s council meeting that will begin at 7.