Budget Gap, Worst in 15 Years, Leads to Sacrifices : Deficit: Tempers erupt as city officials begin to debate the 1993-94 spending plan. Proposed cuts totaling $7.1 million would be felt at libraries and City Hall.

Pasadena’s budget crunch is the worst in 15 years, forcing the City Council to consider such unpopular measures as closing libraries, slicing the City Hall staff by 3% and shrinking historic-preservation programs.

“We’re headed for a dogfight here,” Councilman Isaac Richard warned Tuesday night at a public hearing on the spending plan for the fiscal year starting July 1. “This budget is so fraught with political land mines that it’s not even funny.”

The proposed $112-million operating budget for 1993-94 is $2.8 million less than last year’s plan, marking the first real spending drop, not accounting for inflation, since 1978. Pasadena, along with other California municipalities, is being hit hard by the double whammy of the recession and state cutbacks.

Pasadena faces a $9.3-million shortfall, a gap that is twice the size of La Canada Flintridge’s entire operating budget. About $7.1 million of that amount will be made up by budget cuts and the remainder by new fees and a surplus from the city-owned water and power company.

Under the proposed budget, the council could whack money out of each city department and impose painful, controversial cuts in services that residents have come to expect.

On the hit list: shutting down all eight branch libraries, eliminating 60 City Hall positions--half of which are currently filled--and dropping the Cultural Heritage Commission, which works on historic preservation and design.

Spared: layoffs of any police officers and firefighters.

City Manager Philip A. Hawkey said his proposed cutbacks are designed to mini mize city employee layoffs and service disruptions to the average citizen. In proposing the cuts, Hawkey said he asked himself, “Which decision has the least impact on Mrs. Martinez on Maple Street?”

Tuesday’s budget discussions touched off a testy exchange between Mayor Rick Cole and Councilman Richard that led to a temporary adjournment until tempers cooled. The exchange began when the councilman asserted that the 1 1/2-inch-thick budget proposal had hidden costs. For instance, Richard said, the proposal calls for cutting $250,000 from the Police Department for support staff.

“Who’s going to do that work?” Richard asked the city manager. “Ghosts? You? Me? That’s going to come out of (officers’) time . . . and take time from the streets.”

The councilman accused city staff of “surreptitious, fuzzy time maneuvering.”

“You can’t lie to people,” Richard said angrily. “You damn sure can’t lie to me.”

At that point, Cole cut off the councilman, telling him he was out of line. Neither man would yield the floor, and both argued about who had the right to speak. Finally, the mayor slammed down his gavel and called for a break. Then, he and Richard stalked out of the council chamber through separate exits. Later, outside the chamber’s double oak doors, Richard could be heard screaming, “Don’t cut me off! Ever!”

The meeting resumed after a few minutes.

Later, Hawkey said that the city staff had been upfront about the proposed cutbacks.

The proposed budget had been discussed before, at public hearings in each council district and at a special council session last month. At the April meeting, the council began work on paring down the spending plan, approving $3.6 million in cutbacks.

On Tuesday, nearly 40 people spoke in opposition to the proposed elimination of the Cultural Heritage Commission. Under the plan, some of the commission’s duties would be transferred to the Design Commission. But residents said that historic preservation efforts by the threatened commission have maintained the city’s charm and unique architecture.

“This is the heart of what is Pasadena,” said Joyce Newman, president of the North Pasadena Heights Neighborhood Assn.

Others protested a proposal to eliminate the entire $186,000 grant for a public access cable television channel. Public cable gives everyone a change to produce a show, even people who do not have the money, or the experience, said William Holliman, a board member of the city’s Public Community Access Corp. The nonprofit corporation oversees public access programming, which includes broadcasts of local high school football games and features on the city’s diversity.

“It fosters tolerance and a community spirit,” Holliman said.

An artist known only as Zoot pleaded with the council to retain the $130,000 arts program.

“Without these grants, there are a lot of nonprofit organizations that will go to dust in Pasadena,” he said. “Arts has a big impact on people who are 10, 11, 12 years old and thinking about getting into gangs.”

Besides the cutbacks, the budget proposes new or higher fees. Evening and weekend parking fees in Old Pasadena would increase from $2 to $3. Also, for the first time, the Rose Bowl would contribute 2% of its gross revenue to the city.

The next budget hearing will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall. Council members will not vote on the proposed cuts until late June.

The Pasadena Budget

The city’s proposed $112-million operating budget for fiscal 1993-94 includes a $9.3-million shortfall. About $7.1 million of the gap will be made up by cuts and the remainder by new fees and a surplus from the city-owned water and power company. The budget does not include layoffs of police officers or firefighters, but does call for elimination of 60 City Hall staff positions, half of them currently filled. The council is expected to approve the spending plan in late June. The fiscal year starts July 1.

PROPOSED CUTS

* Staff: 60 positions, including a senior planner, a police assistant, an assistant city manager, a part-time staff assistant on women’s issues and 13 library assistants. Savings: $2.2 million.

* Libraries: Shut down all eight branch libraries. Savings: $219,227.

* City Council travel: Cut council travel by half. Savings: $12,104.

* City Council portraits: Eliminate portraits of the City Council. Savings: $3,572.

* Planning Commission: Stop paying planning commissioners. Savings: $10,800.

* Arts: Eliminate funding to arts groups. Savings: $130,000.

* Sister Cities: Stop funding the Sister Cities Committee. Savings: $6,000.

* Northwest Pasadena: Reduce funding to community organizations. Savings: $32,872

* AIDS: Cut back support for the Pasadena AIDS Community Coordinating Committee from $42,000 to $25,000. Savings: $17,000.

* Historic preservation: Eliminate some cultural heritage programs and merge others. Eliminate Cultural Heritage Commission. Savings: $165,215.

PROPOSED NEW FEES

* City Council agenda packets: Charge a nominal fee, which has not yet been determined. Gain: $5,000.

* Bounced checks: Increase the charge for bounced checks from $10 to $30. Gain: $45,000.

* Parking: Increase evening and weekend fees in Old Pasadena parking garages from $2 to $3. Gain: $208,000.

* Rose Bowl: The Rose Bowl, the city golf course and Solid Waste Division must contribute 2% of their gross revenue. Gain: $200,000.

* Cellular phones: A 7.8% flat surcharge on the basic monthly rate for residents who have such devices. Gain: $250,000.

Source: City of Pasadena