FOUNTAIN VALLEY : City Adopts Budget With No New Taxes

The city has balanced its budget for the next fiscal year without creating new taxes, making drastic cuts in services or increasing fees significantly.

The City Council last week adopted a $23.6-million general-fund budget for 1994-95.

The council was able to balance the budget by taking a number of measures, which included continuing a hiring freeze of 15 jobs. None of the jobs are in the area of public safety.

In addition, the council also approved creating a $15 fee to offset police costs in processing repossessed cars and increased fees by $10 to $160 a team for volleyball and basketball recreation programs. Mayor John J. Collins said that the fee increases will cover administrative costs for these services.

The council agreed to use city reserves to pay nearly $500,000 in added payroll expenses.

The council also approved the city’s water budget, which is separate. Revenues are expected to be about $5.6 million with expenditures projected at about $6.1 million. The shortfall will be offset with a surplus expected for the current fiscal year.

In addition, Wayne S. Osborne, director of public works, said that steps have been taken to reduce the city’s cost of buying imported water. Osborne said the city buys imported water in the winter instead of summer, which reduces the total cost by $150,000.