Local News in Brief : Fiscal Future Looks Bright

South Bay cities fretting these days over how they are going to balance their budgets might want to ask Manhattan Beach to float them a loan.

“It looks like we are going to be just fine the next five years too,” City Manager David Thompson said as he discussed the 1988-89 budget he will present to the City Council.

The council on June 28 is expected to approve a $30-million budget, Thompson said, leaving the city with $10 million for unexpected bills.

Thompson credits fiscally prudent council members and a city staff whose numbers have been kept “lean” as the reasons Manhattan Beach has stayed in the black. Instead of inflating its personnel ranks, he said, the city has contracted out as much work as possible to companies.

Finance Director Merle Lundberg added that the city has benefited in recent years as the Manhattan Village mall and several new hotels have opened and boosted tax revenues. Sales tax revenues collected from restaurants have also climbed, he said.