BUENA PARK : City Budget Overcomes Water Fund Deficit

The city has a new $38-million budget that is balanced despite a deficit in the water fund’s operating budget.

Along with the budget, the City Council on Monday also adopted a 13% fee increase for trash collection and warned residents that they might soon be paying more for water too.

“We need to consider an increase in water rates,” said Mayor Don R. Griffin. “It’s not pleasant, it’s not fun, but it’s a necessity.”

Finance officials said they used reserve funds to cover a $660,000 shortfall in the $6.7-million water budget for fiscal 1995-96. But the city will have to address the deficit during financial strategy sessions this summer, Finance Director Greg Beaubien said.

Households now pay a flat $9.45 monthly rate plus 98 cents for every thousand gallons of water they use. The average household uses 9,000 to 15,000 gallons a month, Beaubien said.

Residents have seen water rates increase by 10% over the past two years. But the city is still catching up with fee increases from the Metropolitan and Orange County water districts, which sell the city its water, Beaubien said.

“We continue to try to minimize rate increases to the community, but these are factors out of our control--we have to charge for what it costs us to provide water,” he said.

Starting Monday, trash fees will rise to $12.68 a month from the current $11.19 to cover increased fees at the Orange County landfill in the wake of the county’s December bankruptcy filing.

The city’s total budget of $38.3 million is up by 8.8% over last year’s because of higher personnel costs, City Manager Kevin O’Rourke said.