IRVINE : Proposed Budget Warmly Received

The City Council gave a generally warm reception this week to Irvine’s proposed $63.6-million budget, but officials indicated that they might be willing to allocate more money for police service and cultural arts programs.

The council spent more than two hours on Tuesday night poring over the 1993-94 fiscal year budget and hearing public testimony on it. It was the council’s first chance to comment on the proposals made by city staff members. The council will re-examine the budget at a meeting later this month after staff members incorporate their requested changes.

The $63.6-million budget package represents a slight increase over last year’s funding levels, but staff members are recommending cuts in some key areas.

In the arts, for example, a handful of community supporters spoke out Tuesday against the proposed layoff of Henry Korn, the city’s cultural affairs manager. Korn is one of five full-time employees slated for layoff under the budget plan.

The speakers said that Irvine’s cultural scene would suffer if the city loses Korn’s expertise in fund raising and the arts.

Several council members indicated that they might consider allocating as much as $100,000 to help establish a private, nonprofit group to support arts in Irvine. But Councilwoman Paula Werner said she still favors retaining Korn for at least for one more year.

Council members also embraced a finance commission recommendation to spare 3.5 Police Department positions that had been slated for elimination. Filling the vacant positions is expected to cost about $250,000 and would bring police staffing up to fiscal 1992-93 levels.

Councilwoman Christina L. Shea said she would like to see a gang-suppression unit added to the budget. “We want to see an increase in (the number of) public safety officers on the street,” she said. “This is a high priority for us.”

Despite the financial paring that Irvine is considering, City Manager Paul O. Brady Jr. stressed during this week’s hearing that the proposed budget does not call for tax increases or significant service cuts--at a time when surrounding cities are considering both to close shortfalls.

“There is no fluff in this budget,” said Brady, noting that the sour economy forced cuts that are bound to irritate some people. “There is not sufficient money to fund everybody’s wishes.”