City Budget Includes Megan’s Law Access
The City Council approved an $85-million budget that includes $3,000 for a police computer that will allow residents to find out if a convicted sex offender lives in their neighborhood.
The Megan’s Law computer, scheduled to be installed next month at the Police Department, will allow residents to search for offenders by name or ZIP Code, Police Chief Randy Adams said.
Councilman Paul Miller proposed adding the Megan’s Law computer to the budget. The law is named after a New Jersey girl killed by a neighbor who was on parole for sex offenses. Other council budget additions include $200,000 for landscaping projects.
The $15.6 million for public safety was more than 40% of the city’s general fund budget. City officials anticipate a budget surplus of $144,000 in the coming fiscal year.
Simi Valley’s financial health allowed the city to fund a number of pet projects, as well as programs that had been set aside in leaner years. For example, the city is putting $900,000 into a three-year, $2.5-million project to overhaul its financial records system.
“I think we found a way to do a lot of things,” Deputy City Manager Bob Heitzman said.
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