San Diego

The San Diego City Council unanimously adopted a $1.16-billion budget for fiscal year 1992 on Monday, a decrease of about 6.5% from last year.

The budget calls for increased funding in the Police Department, including money for 34 more officers in order to expand a drug-abuse education program.

The department also gained money for a laboratory to assist forensic investigators and process evidence locally rather than send it out of state.

The council voted to expand the department’s canine program from 24 to 47 units.

The budget allocates an additional $1 million for the construction of a detention facility, which is expected to be operational by early 1992. The city had already allocated $1.5 million for it.

The council allocated $2.93 million for a mobile police station to be used in community-based enforcement.

The most controversial cut was in the beleaguered Planning Department, which lost almost $3 million.

The cut means about 24 positions will be eliminated.

Although the Planning Department will still be able to spend $10.8 million this year, opponents to the reduced budget testified that a smaller staff would not be able to manage the large number of building permits and paperwork.

Councilman Bob Filner called the cuts “the most rash and unjust decision” in the budget process.