Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/budget-deficit/)
Most of the council moved toward placing a sales tax increase on the November ballot, but didn’t explain what the tens of millions of extra dollars would be used for.
While Westminster City Council members have struggled to make any decisions about how to deal with a $12.6 million structural deficit that is only expected to rise in coming years, they have made at least one thing clear: public safety will be a priority.
City Council members Tuesday approved a $218-million budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year that includes millions in new spending even though the city’s projected revenues are expected to fall more than $4 million short of its expenses.
The city’s jail has long been controversial because it houses U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees in a largely Latino city. Tuesday, council members will consider a move toward ending the contract with ICE.
Anaheim’s new train station was portrayed as having bustling crowds in HBO’s crime drama “True Detective.” But new ridership numbers show that’s far from the truth.
City leaders were able to draw from a general fund reserve to pay off a $5.3 million deficit this year, but time is running out for them to come up with a long-term financial strategy.
While leaving most of the proposed budget intact, council members spent most of Tuesday’s public meeting haggling over $300,000 in optional budget requests.
The city’s budget deficit is $2 million more than city leaders anticipated, after a costly accounting mistake by the city’s now fired finance director came to light. Officials won’t explain the mistake and how it occurred.
Officials had to once again draw from reserves in the current year to fill a $5.3 million budget hole and they are projecting a shortfall of just over $6 million for the 2015-16 fiscal year.
City staff project a $5.39 million general fund deficit for the 2015-16 fiscal year.