STANTON : Budget Crunch May Mean Fewer Police

Stanton residents may see fewer police officers patrolling the streets if the state ends up withholding $1.4 million in vehicle-license fees and property tax revenue from the city, according to City Manager Terry Matz.

The tentative $13-million budget slated for City Council adoption Tuesday already requires the city to dip into its reserves.

If the state keeps or reallocates all the revenue the city has traditionally received, drastic cutbacks will be required, Matz said.

The city’s general fund budget has virtually no capital building projects left to postpone, so the only way the cash-strapped city can trim expenses now is to cut personnel.

Most personnel are law enforcement officers provided by contract with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Matz said.

The city manager said he has not yet designed proposals to slash 10% from the budget.

Most of the city departments are already operating with the minimum staff required to provide services, Matz said.

Like other fearful city leaders throughout the state, Stanton officials have been lobbying state legislators to try to prevent the drastic revenue reductions.

Councilman Don Martinez flew to Sacramento recently to join other Orange County city council members in meeting with legislators, Matz said.

In the meantime, the tentative budget assumes only a $100,000 reduction in state revenue and shows the need to use $477,000 from the general fund reserve, leaving a total city reserve fund of $2.2 million.

The redevelopment agency’s tentative $5.7-million budget will also be adopted Tuesday.