Council expected to vote on budget

Andrew Glazer

COSTA MESA -- The City Council is scheduled tonight to approve an $85.6

million budget for 2000-01.

The city’s Finance Department unveiled a draft budget last week. The

council responded by submitting 84 questions about the draft -- ranging

from the theoretical to the minute.

Questions included:

* “How necessary is the heavy-rescue truck?”

* “What is the current status of the parents’ interest in new playground

equipment?”

* “Saturday Social? Training workshop? Do we have some more specific

info?”

The department released a report Friday with the intent of clearing up

vagaries. The council, having reviewed the answers, will listen to the

public comments and discuss the proposed budget before voting on it

tonight.

During the year, the council uses the budget as a tool to weigh which

programs the city should focus on. It is not, however, an unchangeable

prescription of what to spend where, City Manager Allan Roeder said.

“The council changes the budget at almost every meeting,” he said.

The draft budget is largely the same as last year.

New programs the city proposed include buying a more maneuverable rescue

van, expanding summer programs for children and hiring three additional

staff members for the Police and Fire departments.

The City Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. tonight at City Hall, 77 Fair

Drive.