City Approves $383 million Budget

By Jorge Casuso

June 23 -- The City Council Tuesday night unanimously approved a $383 million budget for fiscal year 2005-06 that beefs up staffing for homeless services, including $200,000 in one-time funds to hire a homeless liaison.

The homeless liaison, proposed by Council member Bobby Shriver, will work with other cities and government agencies to help address the region’s homeless problem and alleviate the burden on Santa Monica, which provides an ambitious social services network. (see related story)

In addition, the council earmarked $170,000 to beef up the human services staff dealing with the homeless.

The additional positions will “bring renewed focus and energy on the issue of responding to homeless people and community concerns relating to homelessness,” said Council member Richard Bloom, who is a member of Bring LA Home, a regional panel to address homelessness.

“We’re doing a great job, head and shoulders above most communities in our region,” Bloom said, “and now we’ll be able to do better work than that.”

Responding to requests for funding from several dozen advocates of numerous causes –- from the local symphony to day care to the Historical Society –- the council divvied up several hundred thousand dollars.

The funds, which will help fund programs cut back during recent belt-tightening measures, include:

• $75,000 to conduct a study of traffic, parking and crosswalks in Ocean Park
• $50,000 for a preservation grant to Santa Monica Historical Society
• $41,000 to restore grants funding for the arts
• $60,000 to assist with childcare for 1,500 infants
• $144,000 to conduct an historic resources inventory
• $43,000 in one-time funding and $13,400 in ongoing funding to install Automatic Electronic Defibrillators at 13 sites
• $12,200 to restore Santa Monica Symphony funding

To help fund the additions, the council allocated $60,000 from the increased utility taxes for water and solid waste services starting next month. (see related story)

In addition, the council made several funding cuts, but stipulated that the monies be restored if funding becomes available in midyear.

The cuts include the following:

• $231,000 was reduced by eliminated seven blocks from an annual street repaving project
• $100,000 was taken from a “borderline” study of neighborhoods
• $25,000 was reduced from ongoing facilities maintenance projects
• $23,000 was taken from the Santa Monica Festival with direction to staff to explore ways to restore the funding sooner than midyear, if possible

The approved budget -- which kicks in July 1 -- reduces the General Fund budget to $207.5 million, a $16.9 million drop from the previous revised budget. That in large part because several major capital projects -- such as the new Main Library and the expansion of Virginia Avenue Park – are now fully funded and nearing completion.

While capital appropriations dropped $25.2 million, operating expenses rose by $8.2 million over the current revised budget, due in large part to the anticipated opening of the library Downtown and the park in the Pico Neighborhood.