TUSTIN : City Council Adopts $60.5-Million Budget

The City Council on Monday approved a $60.5-million budget for the 1991-92 fiscal year.

The budget includes $9.1 million for the city’s water services and $9.3 million for the Redevelopment Agency, along with $16 million for improvements to streets, lighting and other capital projects.

Although the City Council held three workshops on the 1991-92 budget earlier this summer, it waited to adopt it until August because of uncertainty surrounding the state budget and its impact on the city.

City Manager William A. Huston said the state’s budget creates a reduction of $408,000 in city revenue. But Tustin might recoup some of that if the state takes action to reverse jail-booking fees.

“It’s a good budget,” said Councilman Richard B. Edgar. “We are maintaining our Police Department at a high level, and we have a significant amount of capital improvements.”

Cuts in the budget this year include the elimination of 10 positions that are now vacant. Last-minute additions to the budget include financing for senior meals and transportation.

The council voted Monday to give $18,917 to Feedback Foundation for on-site and home-delivered meals for senior citizens.

Feedback Foundation Operations Manager Sharon Phelps said that amount is 13% of the total program’s cost for nutrition and support services in Tustin, or the equivalent of Tustin providing 57 cents per meal for a projected 33,400 meals to be served within the next budget year.

In addition, the council voted to add $7,295 to the $5,455 already budgeted for Consolidated Transportation Service Agency. CTSA provides transportation for senior citizens to attend programs at the Tustin senior center.

CTSA staff said that without the additional funding, the program would have had to be reduced.