The La Cañada Flintridge City Council adopted a budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year at their June 20 meeting.
“The city remains in a strong financial position to respond to the needs of its residents. As evidenced by the surplus of revenues over expenditures as presented during the preliminary budget discussions, the city retains a strong structural footing to take on programs, projects and services at its discretion,” former City Manager Mark Alexander said in a budget message.
After three consecutive meetings in early June, the City Council adopted a General Fund operating budget, with more than $19.5 million in total revenues and expenditures.
But, before the Council passed the budget, various residents spoke during the public comment portion to talk about the budget and how things were being spent.
LCF resident David Haxton talked about the public safety portion of the budget.
“It is said that a budget reflects one’s values,” said Haxton. “You apparently don’t value public safety.”
The Council defunded $250,000 from the Administration Department’s Public Safety program that would improve traffic safety between Foothill Boulevard and Angeles Crest Highway to instead fund other items such as the Chamber of Commerce Mixer, measuring the heights of buildings along Foothill Boulevard and examination of sewers south of Foothill Boulevard, Haxton said.
He also voiced his opinion on the portion of the budget set aside for employee raises, noting that the percentage should be higher.
“The latest budget includes only a 2% raise for city employees,” Haxton said. “Yes, the union negotiated it in December 2021. But since that time, there’s been high inflation, you should be giving them a lot more than 2%. That’s going to affect not just keeping the current employees but attracting future employees.”
Others who spoke during public comments appeared to support the Council for budgeting for climate change, which included a green energy study and a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan coordinator, to name a few.
“I want to thank you for approving that 10 grand from the budget for the green energy study,” said LCF climate coalition member Anne Tryba. “It’s a great first step in making sure that La Cañada succeeds in advancing the climate action planning goals. Every step you take in that direction allows the community to reduce our greenhouse gases and is a win-win at every level.”
Councilman Kim Bowman pulled the adoption of the budget out from the consent calendar to address Haxton’s comment.
“If you’re not watching every hour of the budget work over the course of that week, you may not have the ability to see where the decisions were made, and maybe some of the tradeoffs that were made or the thinking behind it,” said Bowman.
Pat DeChellis, director of the Public Works Department, discussed Viro Road, where a traffic signal will be added so that drivers stop when someone is using the crosswalk. Currently, the crosswalk has flashing yellow lights, but it has been shown not to be enough to slow drivers.
“We’re having to make decisions to balance things,” said Bowman. “So, understand that the budget does reflect our values and our priorities, and one of those values that we have is making the most for the people [who] live here.”
Mayor Keith Eich, who agreed with Bowman, added: “I think the other thing with the budget is we will revisit it mid-year and see if there’s opportunities to optimize, add or remove. Just because it’s in the budget doesn’t mean that it’s going to all get done this year.”
For the final time as city manager, Alexander presented the Annual Budget and Financial Plan for the City Council’s adoption for the 2023-24 fiscal year in his budget message, with an overview of the budget’s details.
“This annual budget and financial plan incorporates all of the changes, additions, deletions, adjustments, Council consideration items and capital projects that the City Council reviewed and approved during the course of the three scheduled budget review hearings,” Alexander said in his message.
General fund revenue is budgeted at $19,685,275. According to Alexander, this is a 2.47% or $475,550 increase over the 2022-23 fiscal year’s estimated year-end revenue. The increase over the prior year’s estimated year-end can be attributed mostly to projected increases in sales tax revenue, property tax revenue, property tax in-lieu, franchise fee revenue, building permits/plan check fees and interest income.
This year, city staff presented the City Council with a menu, or Council consideration items, of various programs, projects and services totaling more than $7.37 million. From this list, the City Council ultimately approved $2.53 million in new items, $1.23 million will come from the structural surplus; $1 million will come from General Fund reserves and $222,000 will come from repurposed American Rescue Plan Act Funding.
While the general fund reserves are projected to decrease as a result, the ending fund balance is anticipated to take only a $584,000 dip due to capital projects that came in under budget.
The general fund expenditure is budgeted at $19,485,100. This represents an 18.4% or $3,033,900 increase over the 2022-23 fiscal year’s estimated year-end expenditures. This uptick can be attributed to several areas, including increases in city attorney fees, insurance premiums, the general municipal election in March 2024, the sheriff’s contract and the addition of a special assignment deputy, and an increase to the community group contributions, to name a few items.
City Manager Daniel Jordan highlights some things from the budget in the city’s semi-monthly report, which includes public safety funds, community groups and capital projects.
“There is $368,800 in additional funds for public safety, including an additional special assignment deputy and a home security camera rebate program,” the report said.
Jordan also added that there is more than $701,700 attributed to a range of community groups and $460,725 to supporting the La Cañada Unified School District.
“The [fiscal year] 2023-24 budget also includes over $23.5 million in capital projects to improve the city’s roads, sidewalks and construct additional phases of the soundwall,” the report said. “Funds have also been budgeted for the [Foothill Intermediate School] pickleball conversion and various other elements of the city’s physical environment.”
First published in the June 22 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
