WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL will meet on Wednesday to consider a troubled city budget.
A grim budget is on the budget for the approval of the Westminster City Council when it meets on Wednesday. According to a report by City Manager Eddie Manfro, the 2016-17 budget calls for the use of $5.4 million to balance the books, leaving just $18.4 million in reserves.
“The city is in a serious financial condition,” wrote Manfro in the report. Factors driving Westminster toward a financial crisis include having the lowest property tax rate in Orange County, declining sales tax revenue and the loss an estimated $11 million a year to the state since California abolished redevelopment agencies in 2012.
For the coming year, city general fund expenses will total $53.8 million, with expected income of $48.4 million. In the budget report, city staff suggested a total of $108,000 in cuts from various city accounts, with $78,082 from the general fund.
The proposed changes include:
- reducing the training and meetings allocations by $65,500
- reducing the publications and subscriptions by $16,300
- cutting membership dues for the city manager’s office by $15,000
- cutting mayor’s ball/community promotion by $3000.
- cutting an allocation of $9000 to AQMD (Air Quality Management District).
The council meets in its chambers at 8200 Westminster Blvd. at 7 p.m.