West Hollywood : Council Ponders Cuts, Taxes

A parade of social service providers this week begged city officials not to cut funding as the City Council considered spending cuts and a new utility tax to balance the budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

The council ended a three-hour “town meeting” Monday without deciding how it will make up for an expected loss of more than $1 million in state-allocated taxes next year.

A proposed tax on residents’ utility bills came under fire from some members of the 120-plus crowd who argued that the city should first cut spending on social programs to avoid a projected $1.7-million deficit.

The council will take up the matter next Monday amid growing certainty that the city will be hit hard by state cutbacks. The city lost $530,000 in similar cuts in the current fiscal year. The outlook is worsened by recessionary losses in sales and hotel tax revenues.

“The council has some very difficult decisions to make,” City Manager Paul Brotzman said. “How do we respond to turbulent economic times?”

The answer from City Hall critics was to cut administrative salaries or trim the $3.4-million social service budget. Others promoted a proposed card casino as a source of city income.