CITY BUDGETS : Budget-Balancing Deadline Sends Some Cities Scurrying

In Santa Ana, a city financial squeeze means that 90 positions are being eliminated from the city payroll. But the budget for tiny Villa Park, Orange County’s smallest city, is rising 60% this year--thanks entirely to capital spending on road improvements. And in Irvine, last year’s deficit crisis is nearly forgotten and 38 employees will be added to the city payroll.

In most cities where spending is up, it is for increases in public safety personnel or road improvements. But whether the numbers are rising or falling, the story at city halls throughout Orange County is essentially the same: it is budget-balancing time.

The new fiscal year for California’s cities began Friday, and legally they were required to have had their budgets balanced and approved by the night before. However, several Orange County cities are still working with proposed budgets, including Fullerton, which is scheduled to approve its spending plan tonight.

Following is a city-by-city look at the budget picture in each of the county’s 27 cities. Santa Ana

90 Jobs to Be Eliminated in Attempt to Cut Costs

With Santa Ana’s budget funding level remaining essentially flat, it’s time for city to “hold the line on expenditures and prioritize its services,” said Jan Perkins, deputy city manager.

The budget for the county seat this year stands at $92.2 million, down from $92.6 million last year.

Except for the Police and Fire departments, which saw increases, all departments brought their budgets in at last year’s level, Perkins said. “With (cost-of-living) increases in wages, there had to be service reductions,” she said.

The city plans to eliminate 90 jobs across the board, most of them mid-management and supervisorial positions. Of the 90 positions, about 50 professional and technical jobs will be cut, Perkins said.

“This may mean more processing time for some things,” she added, but overall, “we think we’re improving the way we’re doing things. We’re seeking more efficiency.”

Santa Ana is entering the second year of its five-year neighborhood improvement program, with the emphasis this year on addressing quality-of-life concerns. To help combat such problems as narcotics trafficking, prostitution, public drunkenness and street gangs, Perkins said, the city is adding 10 police officers and eight firefighters this year.