$22.1-Million Budget Cuts 4 City Positions

Fillmore city officials have cut four jobs from the payroll in approving a $22.1-million spending plan for this fiscal year.

Under the 1994-95 city budget, the positions of assistant city manager, recreation coordinator, public works secretary and a code enforcement officer all were eliminated, City Manager Roy Payne said.

“Three of these positions are being cut because the individuals in those positions are planning on taking early retirement,” Payne said.

However, the city’s only code enforcement officer will be laid off and the city will contract with a private firm to perform those services, Payne said.

The city now employs 25 people, down from its high three years ago of 32 employees. Despite this year’s cutbacks, Payne said the budget was not as tough as those in previous years.

“So far this year, we’ve not been impacted by any take-away schemes on the part of state government or county government, which we’ve had to deal with the last couple of years,” he said.

The budget approved Tuesday night calls for nearly $6 million in earthquake-recovery projects, including grants and loans for repairs to homes and businesses lost in the Jan. 17 temblor, Payne said.

Fillmore will spend almost $5 million more than it expects in revenues over the fiscal year. But Payne said there was a $12.8-million ending balance from last year that will drop to about $8 million by next June.