LA HABRA : City Budget Includes 20% Staff Reduction

Residents will soon find City Hall closed on Fridays and city services personnel reduced by one-fifth as part of the cost-cutting measures in the $12-million 1992-93 budget approved by the City Council on Saturday.

The 20% reduction in full-time personnel will affect all city departments except for police and fire. Included in the reduction are 10 administration vacancies that will not be filled and eight layoffs made last month. Two maintenance personnel, the assistant animal control officer, a fire prevention specialist and a code enforcement officer were among those laid off.

Up to five more employees at City Hall will receive layoff notices during the summer. It was not known which departments will be affected.

Noting that state cuts may yet force revisions in city budgets all over California, Councilman William D. Mahoney called La Habra’s “a tongue-in-cheek budget . . . very tentative.” Depending on what state legislators do, La Habra might have to cut another $2 million from its budget, he said.

If the state decides to withhold some property tax funds and motor vehicle license fees from cities, as it is contemplating, it would necessitate “drastic reductions in public safety,” City Manager Lee Risner warned. More than 81% of general fund expenditures is used for public safety.

The budget, approved on a 4-0 vote, does not include any new or increased taxes. Councilman David Cheverton was absent from Saturday morning’s meeting.

Despite personnel reductions and a shorter workweek, Risner said the changes will actually increase efficiency at City Hall. Under Air Quality Management District policy, employees take a day off after they work 80 hours in a two-week period. Instead of scattered days off within departments, Risner said, everyone has Friday off.

Other cost-cutting measures included:

* Eliminating all travel, meeting and training expenses, except for a small allocation for the Police Department.

* Allotting no funds for nonprofit or community groups or for services with the Chamber of Commerce.

* Closing the city administrative building from Dec. 21 to 28. Employees will use vacation pay or be on unpaid leave.

The police building expansion and the construction of a community services center will go forward as budgeted under last year’s capital investments plan.