Burbank Looking at Ways to Cut Budget : Municipal: Independent blue-ribbon committees will consider such things as privatization of some services to cope with state funding losses.

Driven by cuts in funding from the state, Burbank’s mayor said Tuesday night he will appoint two independent committees to help the city trim its budget by considering such alternatives as privatizing paramedic, janitorial and landscaping services.

“We really need to view the whole notion of municipal services in the ‘90s in a manner quite different from the past,” said Mayor Robert Bowne. “We’re looking at major reductions any way we look at it.”

These committees will also consider ways to save the city’s redevelopment program which has seen its funding drop 50% in the past two years, City Manager Robert Ovrom said.

“We can’t tighten the belt any more,” Ovrom said. “We need a sweeping examination of everything we do.”

The committees will make recommendations to the City Council.

Their comments followed a special council session to discuss the fallout from the new state budget, signed last week by Gov. Pete Wilson. Under that new budget, Burbank has lost about $1.2 million from its general fund and $2.1 million from its redevelopment agency.

Ovrom asked the council to cover the shortfall out of its budget reserve, which includes about $35 million. The council could not legally take action at the special emergency session, which was called on short notice.

Most of the session was not devoted to this year’s budget but rather to a discussion of future fiscal woes that may come if California’s economy does not rebound.

At Ovrom’s request, the mayor agreed to appoint the two committees to suggest ways to trim the city budget and provide essential services without raising taxes. One committee will be made up of representatives from all parts of the community including businessmen, members of neighborhood groups and unionized city employees.

“This needs to the bluest of blue ribbon committees,” Ovrom wrote in a report to the council.

The other committee will consist of three or four members of the business community to take a fresh approach to city services that city staff members might overlook because of ingrained habits.

“The private sector will bring fresh eyes to what you look at,” said Councilman Michael Hastings.

Ovrom and the council members said the city faces hard choices and needs to look at all options, including many--such as privatizing ambulances--that would be politically unpopular. Council members said they expected to face more budget shortfalls in coming years until the state’s fiscal climate improves.

“There’s no short-term fix on the horizon for California,” Councilman Thomas Flavin said. “We’ll be right back doing this next year and then the next year after that.”

Much of the bad news discussed at the meeting involved the redevelopment agency, which has seen its funding base shrink from nearly $15 million to about $7 million in the past two years because of state cuts and falling property values.

Council members appeared reluctant to raise taxes, which they referred to as “fee enhancement.”

“First we have to look at cuts, then if we can’t stomach the cuts, look at fee enhancement,” Hastings said as his colleagues nodded along. “Read my lips.”