Moorpark’s Budget Plan Calls for Deputy, No New Taxes : Finances: City is sitting pretty this year, with enough in its reserve fund--$4 million--to run services for 12 months.

More cops on the beat and no new taxes sounds like a sure recipe for budgetary harmony.

That’s what Moorpark officials hope to accomplish with the city’s proposed $5-million general fund plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

The City Council took its first close look at the budget Wednesday night, setting priorities and identifying possible cuts in case efforts to balance the state budget hurt Moorpark.

Unlike the financial melodrama of state and county governments, Moorpark is sitting pretty this year, even maintaining enough in its reserve fund--$4 million--to run the city for 12 months, Assistant City Manager Richard Hare said.

Although early projections for the coming year show a shortfall of about $225,000, frugal spending over the past 12 months and a boost in sales tax revenue have left the city with about $600,000 in surplus, Hare said.

That money will be used to close the projected budget gap, and the remaining sum will help fund about $300,000 for an additional sheriff’s deputy for the next three years.

As part of the Clinton Administration’s Crime Bill, the federal government will pay about $75,000 to help subsidize the deputy’s salary, Hare said.

Still the safest city in Ventura County, Moorpark spends more than 60% of its general fund--or about $2.5 million--on police services. But city leaders believe they need to spend even more on law enforcement.

“We are an extremely safe city and we want to keep it that way,” Councilman Scott Montgomery said, adding that he felt public safety should be the city’s top priority.

Committing so much money over the next three years concerns City Councilman Bernardo Perez.

“I would really like to see another deputy added to the force, but I think we should look at the long-term costs,” Perez said.

Wanting a more detailed report on the city’s potential revenues, Perez said he was wary of allocating huge chunks of money for the next three years without knowing whether the city can cover the expense.

“It would be nice to be able to make the commitment now, but without a clear vision of our revenues it’s hard to make that decision,” he said.

Hare said that if the city uses the carry-over surplus from this year, it can easily cover the added expense of an additional deputy over the next three years.

The surplus may also be used to offset an expected increase in the per household assessment for parks in the city.

The council has been able to use the budget surplus and reserve funds for the past three years to offset increases on property tax bills from the parks assessment. The yearly assessment now averages about $33 per household.

It remains unclear whether this year’s surplus can cover the increased costs for park maintenance, said Councilman John Wozniak.

“We’ve been able to use our carry-over money to offset this for the last three years, but somewhere along the line we’re probably going to have to raise the assessment,” Wozniak said.