Proposed City Budget Would Pare 30 Positions

Residents and businesses would see some fee increases, and 30 city positions would be eliminated under the budget being proposed for fiscal 1996-97.

The $120-million budget plan, presented for the first time at a City Council study session last week, would take steps to close a projected $10-million deficit caused by revenue losses, including a $1-million drop in property taxes because of declining values.

Police Department spending, the largest single outlay in the proposed budget, would rise to $61.1 million from $58.9 million, with most of the increase going to cover staffing at the new police and jail facility scheduled to open in January 1997.

The council is not expected to vote on the budget until April at the earliest, Councilwoman Patricia A. McGuigan said, because members will need time to study it.

Councilman Ted R. Moreno expressed concern about a rate increase proposed for high-volume water users. It probably would not affect residents much, he said, but could boost water bills for some businesses by as much as 27%.

“What are we going to do, chase businesses out of town?” Moreno asked.

Lee Harry, the city’s water resources manager, said that, even with a rate increase, Santa Ana would still be in line with what other cities charge.

Other proposed increases would affect everything from city document rates to parking tickets. A no-parking-zone ticket, for example, would rise to $46 from $41.