EDITORIAL:

Huntington Beach city staff members, in particular City Administrator Penny Culbreth-Graft, wisely have presented a budget for next year that is conservative but not unnecessarily stingy.

If the City Council approves it, the budget for 2006-07 would be a little smaller than this year’s, down 3.1%, to $319 million. But it doesn’t include draconian cuts to the city’s general fund, which accounts for more than half of the budget at $179 million and includes city services that most immediately affect residents: fire, marine safety, police and public works. Spending there, in fact, is up by about 4% compared to the 2005-06 budget and will cover vital staffing increases in the budget for such areas as public safety and infrastructure — two areas where improvements are needed in how residents are served.

That is good planning: Spending money where it is most needed and where it does residents, businesses and visitors the most good.

Sadly, though, the city still is hamstrung by past economic losses related to state raids on city budgets and the slowdown after the terrorist attacks nearly five years ago.

In her presentation to the City Council, Culbreth-Graft points out that it is a “budget in recovery” and that the city is “struggling to address a backlog of equipment replacement needs, failing infrastructure and challenges attracting and retaining qualified employees.”

On a brighter note, city staff members are forecasting relatively strong economic growth in the city, with ongoing rises in housing prices, the opening of the Bella Terra mall and the construction of the Strand and Pacific City, but do not appear to be relying on ridiculously optimistic forecasts. Perhaps there will be increases here that will enable the city to address some of its deficiencies.

Overall, the budget looks like one that the City Council should have no trouble approving by its deadline on Sept. 30.