TORRANCE : Deficit May Prompt Cuts in City Services

Torrance residents have told city officials that they would like to see more volunteers helping out at the library and in recreation programs, and would give up library service on Sunday to maintain high quality service on other days.

As the city faces a deficit of $4.5 million to $4.7 million over the next two years in an approximately $90-million annual budget, city leaders asked the community to suggest cuts in city services. Through surveys and public forums, officials have gathered suggestions for cutbacks and presented worst-case scenarios for every city department.

If the budget crunch forces the most drastic cuts, residents could see nearly $1 million cut from the Parks and Recreation Department, endangering programs such as boys baseball, flag football and the Torrettes Drill Team. Fees for after-school programs would also increase.

The most drastic scenario for the library system includes closing the El Retiro branch library and eliminating Sunday library service at all branches this year and closing another branch in 1996. Even with the more optimistic forecast, library patrons could see a 13% reduction in the book budget over two years.

At budget workshops, some residents suggested a parcel tax of less than $25 be added to each property in Torrance to boost the city’s resources. Preliminary results of a city survey show that the 25% to 30% of the city’s population who use the library would support the tax, but the rest of the residents don’t want it.

“Lay off the taxes--we’ve heard that fairly strongly,” said City Manager LeRoy J. Jackson at a recent meeting on the budget.

Residents groups also suggested raising money from businesses to support libraries and recreation programs.

The City Council will hold public hearings on the budget proposals at their meetings on June 20 and 27.