A little spending aside

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- City Manager Homer Bludau first came up with the idea

to set up “special project” funds for council members at his old job in

Coronado.

He did so after the city’s elected leaders would come in with

relatively small requests, such as $1,500 for a group that was trying to

plant trees in their district.

Just one such expenditure wouldn’t cause a big problem for the city

officials. But the requests could add up during the year and make it

difficult to find funds to cover them, he said.

Last year, now working at the helm of Newport Beach government, Bludau

introduced the idea here, as well, allocating $7,000 to each council

member for discretionary spending.

The system will continue in the coming fiscal year, as well. But

council members said they want to discuss openly how the money is spent.

Discussing the matter at a budget workshop last Tuesday, Mayor Gary

Adams said he’d like to see requests appear on council agendas to give

residents a chance to comment on the projects.

Councilwoman Norma Glover, who had already pledged her entire $7,000

for work on the Mariner’s Mile design framework, said she didn’t think

giving the money to charities would be appropriate, adding that city

officials recently suggested this.

But Adams countered that giving the money to charities should not be a

problem -- as long as residents know where the money was going.

Councilman Gary Proctor, one of three new members sworn in last

December, said he didn’t even know about the funds at all.

Bludau acknowledged Friday that he had not “publicized the [funds]

with the new council people very well.”

But with the exception of Glover, who had used up her money, the other

six council members had all given $1,000 to a reunion of World War II

veterans that recently took place in the city.

Councilman Tod Ridgeway also gave $3,000 toward the production of a

Newport Beach calendar and has reimbursed volunteers planting flowers in

front of City Hall.

As of last week, $33,000 remained in the district funds. Any money

that’s not used before July 1 will go to the general fund reserves, with

a new $7,000 set aside for every council member in the new fiscal year,

Bludau said.