Council Outlines City Budget for 2007-2008

• Law Enforcement Costs to Rise

BY BILL KOENEKER

The Malibu City Council will get its first look-see at the proposed budget for fiscal year 2007-2008 at its meeting this week on Tuesday night after The News goes to press.

They will be told that total revenues are $30.4 million and expenses should amount to $32.9 million.

Some of the highlights of the budget include an estimated eight percent increase for the contract with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for a total operating budget of $5.4 million for law enforcement services, according to Administrative Services Director Reva Feldman, who noted the $436,000 increase reflects the rise in personnel costs and does not include any additional services.

On the upside, Feldman laid out the increase in revenues showing that many taxes, including property tax, utility user’s tax and sales tax, all increased substantially.

There is an anticipated increase of $382,830 from property taxes, a $200,000 rise in utility user’s tax, a $268,000 increase in sales taxes, $471,000 windfall in revenue from service charges and about a $360,000 increase in interest earnings.

Money doled out to non-profits in the form of grants was previously given the nod by the council and is reflected in what is called the general fund grant program, which was increased to $150,000.

The council’s administration and finance subcommittee has recommended and the majority of the council members are expected to approve awarding about $138,000 to various groups including $50,000 to the Malibu Green Machine for the Pacific Coast Highway median improvements, $10,000 to the Friends of Malibu Urgent Care, $10,000 to the Malibu Stage Company, $15,000 to the Malibu Symphony Association and $15,000 to the Point Dume Community Association, with the provision that the council can recommend what organization should receive grant funds.

Additionally, the council is expected to approve the A&F subcommittee’s recommendations for $10,000 to the Malibu Chamber of Commerce and various other lesser amounts to several wildlife organizations, a film foundation and mountain rescue team among others.

The A&F subcommittee also recommended using funds from what is called the general fund income programs designation, which is earmarked for low income serving applicants.

The recommendations include allocating $25,000 to the Malibu Community Labor Exchange, $15,000 to the Malibu Foundation for Youth and Families, $10,000 to SOS Community Outreach, $9000 to the Children’s Lifesaving Foundation, $7000 to Nature of Wildworks, $7500 to Webster Jewish Family Services, $5000 for Meals on Wheels, $6000 for Webster Bilingual Services and $2500 for Children’s Creative Workshops.

Feldman noted that the breakdown of the total $225,400 recommended by the subcommittee is that $28,500 will fund programs at local Malibu schools, $14,900 will go to organizations assisting animals, $49,500 will benefit the arts and $132,500 will fund programs enhancing and benefiting the community.

Some of the other highlights of the budget relate to increased expenditures for the upcoming fiscal year including spending $400,000 for plan checking services, $300,000 for contract personnel for additional parks and recreation programs, $84,000 for the capital campaign coordinator contract, $75,000 for the 2008 municipal election, another $50,000 budgeted to fund the increases for the general fund grant program, $40,000 for irrigation repairs at Bluffs Park, $38,000 for street sweeping, $35,000 for website upgrades, $15,291 for webcasting of planning commission meetings and $4,500 for ribbon-cutting events.

The capital improvement budget for the next fiscal year totals $10.7 million. Street overlay appropriations amount to $600,000. Feldman noted some of the line item budget is for works in progress, including the Las Flores Creek restoration with a $4.3 million price tag, the Cross Creek Road restoration project with a line item budget of $2 million and the Legacy Park improvements with a line item budget of $815,000.

The amount included in the proposed budget for Trancas Park is $503,010 while the actual cost is about $3 million. Feldman indicated the staff is currently figuring out other funding mechanisms.

The council at one time thought they had appropriated all of the monies for the Trancas improvements and were taken aback at a previous session when Feldman told them the staff was still looking for funding to bridge the shortfall.

At that point, a majority of the council asked Feldman to take the money from the general fund, but given the millions of dollars required, the staff is exploring options.

The budget for the upcoming fiscal year provides funding for 72 full-time equivalent employees. No new positions for the fiscal year are planned.