SANTA ANA : Tentative City Budget Eliminates 26 Jobs

City officials have unveiled a preliminary 1994-95 budget that calls for the elimination of 26 employee positions, the sale of a $5-million reservoir and small increases in a wide range of fees.

During a study session on Monday, City Manager David N. Ream said the steps are necessary to offset a potential $15-million deficit brought on by the continuing poor economy.

“It’s no fun raising fees and taxes, but what we’re trying to do is strike a balance” between maintaining services and reducing costs, he said.

The $279.6-million spending plan includes a 2.5% increase in the sanitation fee and a 2.9% increase in the water rate. It also calls for new fees of $50 to $90 an hour to offset the cost of providing construction- and design-related review services.

Positions that would be eliminated include a fire safety specialist, a police arson investigator, two fire battalion chiefs, five police service officers, two building inspectors, four custodians and three library staffers. However, the employees would be shifted to other, vacant positions whenever possible, Ream said.

Two controversial fees, for registering home and business alarms and for parking permits, are included in the budget, but the staff provided an alternative to charging them.

Under the alternative, parking permit fees would be eliminated. Also, only businesses would pay the alarm registration fee, which would be reduced from a proposed $30 to $25. Money generated by the alarm fees would enable the city to retain 17 police cadet positions that would otherwise be eliminated.

The plan calls for selling a $5-million reservoir in the south end of the city near Bear Street and Alton Avenue.

Ream pointed out that the proposed budget would involve some risk because it includes about $7 million in one-time revenue to meet the deficit, instead of raising more fees or cutting more positions.

The hope is that the economy will improve and make those steps unnecessary, but Ream added that “the danger is next year we could be sitting here with an even bigger mountain to climb.”

Still, he said, the proposed budget offers “a responsible course of action.”

The City Council listened to the staff presentation on the budget and appeared to accept most of the recommendations.

However, several council members questioned proposals to increase fees at city swimming pools by 50 cents and close each pool two days a week. They suggested that the staff prepare alternatives to those proposals, as well as a plan to charge patrons up to 50 cents for temporary library cards.

The council is expected to consider and adopt a final budget following a public hearing on June 20.