AGOURA HILLS : Council Considers New Spending Cuts

The Agoura Hills City Council has given preliminary approval to a tax on utility use and cuts in spending and employee positions to help pull the city from its worst-ever fiscal crisis.

By a unanimous vote, the council Wednesday night approved a tax on the use of electricity, gas and telephone service. If given final approval June 22, the tax would be set at 4% for residents and 3.5% for businesses.

The proposed tax drew angry opposition two weeks ago from a standing-room-only crowd, some of whom were regular City Council critics.

“We are very angry,” said Barbara Murphy, who started a group called Citizens Against New Local Taxes in response to the proposed tax. “We will develop ballot measures to revoke the tax and or recall all five members of our City Council.”

Councilman Ed Corridori, who was elected in November, said the decision was not easy.

“I’m not happy about imposing a tax either,” Corridori said. “But without it I’m going to be sacrificing the quality of life in my community I love, and I’m not going to do that.”

Unlike neighboring Calabasas, Westlake Village and Los Angeles, the city of Agoura Hills has so far resisted placing fees on utilities or public landscaping to raise money for law enforcement, public works and other services.

The council also proposed $270,000 in spending cuts to help plug a projected $1-million shortfall. In all, $5.7 million is required to operate the city.

Included in the cuts were the elimination of four part-time positions and two full-time jobs--a senior planner and an administrative secretary--leaving the city with 17 full-time employees.

The council also moved to eliminate an after-school program at Yerba Buena Elementary School and funding for traffic and security at the Pony Express Days festival and other public events.

The cuts will be considered again, along with the final version of the budget, at a meeting to be scheduled later.