City Urged to Avoid Cuts by Using Reserve Funds
With the City Council slated to consider slicing nearly $2 million from the municipal budget tonight, homeowners and firefighters are calling for council members to use reserves to help make up the shortfall and avoid proposed cuts in jobs and services.
The deficit is the result of property owners’ rejection of a proposed assessment for fire service. Last week, council members examined 58 proposals to slash the $26.5-million budget, including closing a fire station and cutting parks or library services, but delayed a decision for a week.
Craig Bonholtzer, a Highlands Homeowners Assn. director, said public safety services should not be cut and the city should dip into its $15 million in unrestricted reserves, delaying cuts and allowing time to review options.
Facing the prospect that some of their jobs may be cut, firefighters said there is little point in having $7.5 million of the reserve fund set aside for new equipment if there aren’t enough employees to use it.
“If you cut employees, you cut services,” said Harvey Lozar, first vice president of Arcadia Firefighters Assn.
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