The 1991-92 Budgets

CULVER CITY

General fund expenditures: $42.2 million, up 3.3% from current year.

Highlights: 19 city jobs eliminated; wide variety of city services cut; sharp increase in real estate-transfer tax.

Budget status: Approved Monday night.

SANTA MONICA

General fund expenditures: $100 million, up 13.6%

Highlights: 20 new police officer hirings authorized; increase in hotel bed tax or real estate transfer tax under consideration to pay for them; new programs and some hirings planned in many departments.

Budget status: Approved Tuesday night.

WEST HOLLYWOOD

General fund expenditures: $38.4 million, up xx%

Highlights: This is the first year that the city has had to cut expenses to balance the budget. It has laid off three employees, eliminated seven additional positions and will continue a hiring freeze until 10 more slots have been absorbed. The city also has eliminated its public services division, saving $149,000 by consolidating it with other departments.

Budget status: Adoption vote scheduled for Monday.

BEVERLY HILLS

General fund expenditures: Projected at $80 million, but a $6-million gap between revenues and spending will have to be closed--either raising taxes, cutting spending or a combination of the two--before a budget can be approved.

Highlights: The budget is still very much in flux. Layoffs of 11 firefighters and 18 police officers have been proposed, but City Council members this week appeared to be leaning toward fewer layoffs and a tax increase.

Budget status: The city will start the fiscal year without an approved budget. Adoption expected sometime in July.

Notes: Fiscal year starts Monday (July 1) in each city. The other incorporated city on the Westside, Malibu, approved a $7.5 million budget last week.