HUNTINGTON BEACH : New City Budget Cuts Services, Employees

The city will begin its new fiscal year Oct. 1 with a leaner budget, fewer employees, reduced services and higher water rates.

The $190-million budget adopted by the City Council on Monday eliminates 37 employee positions, including three Police Department slots that are now vacant and three full-time firefighter jobs that will be cut as part of a new program to place paramedics on fire engines.

City Administrator Michael T. Uberuaga said the city’s budget has decreased for three years in a row.

Among services being reduced are residential and commercial street sweeping, which will now be done just once a month rather than every two weeks.

Water rates will go up 31% on Dec. 1 to cover the city’s higher costs and to pay for maintenance and capital improvements to the water system. A typical household bill will increase to $23.26 a month from $17.75.

Councilman Tom Harman voted against the 1995-96 budget, saying that a number of issues were not addressed, including city employee salaries.

Because 71% of the general-fund budget of $95.6 million is for salaries, he said, a review is appropriate.

“They’re allocating too much money to salaries and not enough to repairs of the infrastructure,” such as street, sewer and flood-control channel repairs, Harman said.

But Councilwoman Shirley S. Dettloff said the budget is responsible, given that the city must continue to downsize as its revenue shrinks.

In a separate action, the council approved a $400,000 budget for the new Art Center.

The city will contribute $81,000 to the center’s operations, with the rest coming from fund-raising projects and Art Center fees and programs.