SAN CLEMENTE : New Budget Carries Many Fee Increases

The City Council this week approved a $46.6-million budget that reflects months of effort to cut costs and add revenue so that the city will not operate in the red.

“This is a big year with big changes in how we look at the budget for San Clemente,” said Mayor Scott Diehl, referring to numerous fee increases and other adjustments that were added to keep the city afloat in difficult economic times.

The council on Wednesday voted 4 to 1 to approve the budget, with Councilman Thomas Lorch dissenting. Lorch said he did not agree with some of the proposed expenses in the one-year document, and wanted to study it further.

“We’re basically going to break even,” said Assistant Finance Director Mike White of the projected one-year spending plan. “The recession has put us back on any (economic) progress we have made in the last two years. We’re basing our estimates and forecasts so we’re not going to be cut short.”

One of the largest debates on cost-cutting since the budget was proposed in April has been whether to keep the Ole Hanson Beach Club swimming pool open to the public year-around. Despite a cost of $62,000, officials voted to keep the program in place with a few changes, according to a report from Finance Director Dean A. Porter.

The changes include an increase in admission fees, which would bring the city an estimated $23,000 more annually, and replacing yearly passes with ones that are good for a total of 30 entries per pass.

White said other revenue increases are expected from a series of fee boosts for business licenses, use of the municipal golf course and public use of city-owned recreational facilities. Golf and recreational fees, which include increased parking charges, are expected to bring the city $40,000 in the next year, Porter’s budget report said.

Major expenditures include more than $2 million to acquire and develop city parkland, up about $200,000 from last year, and $1.4 million in capital-improvement projects under the city Redevelopment Agency, a jump of $1.25 million over last year.