$243-Million Budget, Utility Tax Hike OKd

The Glendale City Council on Tuesday approved a $243-million budget for the 1989-90 fiscal year, which calls for 63 new employees and the first utility tax hike in a decade.

Council members said they were worried about the 11% increase in the spending plan and vowed to return to slow-growth spending patterns of previous years.

However, at their request, two new positions--one in the Planning Department and another in the Public Works Department--were added to the 61 recommended by City Manager David Ramsay. Last year, 13 new positions were included in the budget.

The utility tax increase from 5% to 7% was originally approved in 1978, but the council had postponed its implementation until this year. The council also raised the cut-off level of maximum earnings from $7,500 to $10,500 a year for low-income residents to be exempt from paying the tax.