GARDEN GROVE : Panel Suggests Ways City Can Cut Costs

A government efficiency committee headed by former Assemblyman Curt Pringle has suggested eliminating the Police Department’s canine unit and forensics department to help trim the city’s projected $3-million to $5-million budget deficit.

Pringle said the city could save $258,000 by closing the three-officer canine department and $125,000 by doing away with forensics and contracting with the county for those services.

Among other cost-trimming suggestions Pringle offered to City Council members this week in an interim report:

Suspend pay, meals and conferences for city commission members for a savings of $53,107; contract for city attorney services to save $40,000; institute an adopt-a-park program under which private organizations would maintain small parks, which currently cost the city $54,600; and ask the Garden Grove Unified School District to finance the school crossing guard program, which costs $152,000 annually.

Assistant City Manager Michael D. Fenderson said the city has serious financial problems “and the only way to balance the budget is reducing expenditures and cutting programs.”

“Garden Grove’s problem is that it has a weak tax base and no major resources or cushion to draw on,” he said.