Countywide : Cities to Fight Cuts Proposed by State

A legislative proposal to siphon some revenue from cities in an effort to balance the state budget drew fire Tuesday from a mayor who detailed plans for intensive lobbying, and from officials of two cities who are discussing the possibility of filing suit against the state.

At a press conference Tuesday, mayors and city council members from west Orange County discussed concern over a plan by legislative leaders, searching for about $11 billion in state spending cuts to balance the budget, to funnel fewer property taxes to cities and shift local cities’ share of state vehicle registration fees to county governments.

That move, the city officials said, could force cities to cut as much as 15% from their general fund budgets.

Westminster Mayor Charles V. Smith said he will take his case to Sacramento, where he and representatives of the city’s police and fire unions hope to meet today with Orange County’s legislative delegation to plead on behalf the cities.

“We want to get the message across to them that (cities) aren’t a deep pocket they can get money out of without having to cut into safety services and taking police officers off the street,” Smith said.

The legislative proposal could mean that Orange County cities will have to trim $100 million more from already austere budgets, said William Hodge, executive director of the county division of the League of California Cities. In Westminster, the proposed revenue cuts could mean a $3.1-million loss, Smith said.

Since the police and fire departments account for 75% of the city’s general fund spending, police and firefighter layoffs are almost a certainty should the state cuts go forward, he said.

Also concerned about possible cuts in police, fire and other services, officials from Buena Park and Brea said Tuesday that they have asked an attorney to look for legal ways to challenge any funding cuts, possibly on state constitutional grounds, Buena Park City Manager Kevin O’Rourke said.

“If they come in with these Draconian cuts to balance their budget . . . local communities are going to suffer,” O’Rourke said. “We’re talking (about cutting) meat and potatoes here--paramedics, the guys that put out your fires, and the police.”

Other city services, such as street maintenance and recreation, will also have to be cut if the revenue reductions go forward, O’Rourke said. Buena Park would have to cut spending by about $792,000 under the current state proposal, he said.

Police chiefs from Buena Park, Anaheim and other California cities met with Gov. Pete Wilson on Tuesday to discuss the public safety problems cities are facing, O’Rourke said.

The state proposal to reduce tax money to cities is part of a budget balancing plan to avoid major cuts to public schools. State leaders have said that since local governments are better able to raise fees and taxes for their services, cities should take their share of state budget cuts.