The Los Alamitos City Council will consider a delicately balanced budget for the 2020/2021 cut Budget on June 15. The $13.6 million budget is down from the $13.9 million budget from 2019/2020, and the $14.5 million in 2018/2019.
Of the total General Fund anticipates $13.6 in expenditures, including $6.4 million for police services (46%). Development Services/Public Works Dept. Is $2.9 million (21%); Recreation/Community Services at $1.3 million (10%); City Manager/City Clerk at $765K (6%); and Finance $642k (5%).
The Budget for our 11,700 population comes with some pain due to several reorganizational changes, the freezing of some vacant employee positions, holding back on some promotions within city staff. All general employees are expected to endure a 5% salary reduction from July 1 until Dec. 31st. Total city full time staff is approx. 50 workers, including nearly half that in our Police Department. Los Alamitos is the second smallest city in Orange County.
We will continued with an unfounded liability in excess of $3million for the PERS - public employee retirement system. A two-tier system was implemented several years ago raising the retirement age from 50 to 62. New staff fall under the second tier.
The Council is continuing to evaluate a ballot measure in November on sales taxes of 1 or 1.5% which would remain locally for the City. Property taxes is our largest revenue source ($4 million, 29%); followed by sales taxes ($2.7 million 20%); utility user taxes ($2 million 15%) and service fees of 1 million, 7%.
The true unknown is from the State of California with unfunded mandates and manipulation of taxes that flow to Counties, then to cities.
