Council OKs $2.9 Million in Budget Cuts

It took a nip here and a tuck there, but major surgery was avoided in the most recent round of budget cuts approved by the Culver City Council on Monday.

City departments across the board cut back on overtime pay, travel expenses, office supplies and personnel, shaving $2.9 million off the city’s total expenditures to arrive at a balanced $73.4-million operating budget for the 1992-93 fiscal year.

“What you’re going to see is a streamlined city government with minimum impact to city services,” Mayor James Boulgarides said.

But a few niceties of the municipality that prides itself on small-town flavor will be missed. One casualty is the annual fireworks show, which has attracted thousands of Westside pyrotechnic lovers since fireworks were banned in the early 1960s. Canceling the show saves the city $25,000.

City workers will miss their annual employees picnic, saving $4,000.

The city’s contribution to the 45th annual Western Hemisphere Marathon, which has corporate sponsors in place and a major investment in advertising, was halved to $12,000.

Community groups that relied on the city to bankroll events in the past will have to take an entrepreneurial approach and become self-sustaining, Boulgarides said.

Council members hope that volunteers will help fill the gaps left by cutbacks in city services, especially in the Human Services Department, which oversees city parks and a variety of programs.

“We have to save on the hard costs of our experts and get more public participation,” Boulgarides said.

Staff hours for supervision in parks during weekends and evenings was reduced, and the municipal pool will be open three nights a week instead of five.

One custodian and two maintenance workers in the park department will be let go and fees for seniors programs and adult recreation programs will be increased.

Cuts that can’t be mitigated by volunteers include the elimination of a two-man unarmed park patrol, which saves the city $63,000.

Culver City Police agreed to take over the job of patrolling parks within normal duty hours, administrators said.

While taking on extra duties, the Police Department took its share of cuts, including the elimination of one of two DARE officers. The DARE program carries an anti-drug message to Culver City schools.

Overtime for police work was cut by $140,000, and could make identifying crime patterns more difficult. Police will have to choose which cases they pursue aggressively.

“We are going to have to be very selective,” Police Chief Ted Cooke said.

The Fire Department was affected similarly with overtime cuts and the loss of a fire cadet position.

In all, 15 city positions were axed. One was vacant, and three will be vacated by attrition. The rest will result in layoffs.

A controversial option to adopt a benefit assessment district for paramedic services was dropped, but the idea may resurface if the state takes a larger share of property taxes and vehicle license fees than planned for.

City Finance Manager Bob Norquist believes that the state, struggling to balance its own budget, may saddle the city with an additional shortfall of $2 million.

“What the council has just approved is really Round One,” Norquist said.

City administrators are working on contingency plans in case that happens. A reserve fund for unforeseen expenses may have to be used. Also, during a budget workshop with union representatives, council members suggested a 5% across-the-board salary cutback that would save about $1.2 million and prevent future layoffs.