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Published on 05/12/1999 All articles from this issue

Council begins city budgeting process

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By Joanne Griffith Domingue / Town Crier Staff Writer

Los Altos city council members were scheduled to receive their three-part budget packets last Monday, and next Monday begin their discussions of what's ahead for the city.

They will be considering what residents want, how badly they want it and how they pay for it.

The first part of the packet contains a budget that maintains the current service level, said Amy Margolis, interim finance director for Los Altos.

The projected income and expenses of $1.7 million for 1997-98 for the city of Los Altos are "in line with the numbers we projected back at the (March) study session," Margolis said.

The second part includes lists of "possible capital improvements, some projects for funding, some that were dreams," she said.

And the third part of the packet offers "alternative service levels." They "tend to be staff related," she said, like funding the two new motorcycle traffic officers. For the first two years of their service the officers are funded by a state grant. But the city will need to decide if it wants to continue that funding, she said, when the grant runs out.

The packet outlines "the choices the council has about making policy decisions about what will and won't be in the budget," said Los Altos City Manager Phil Rose.

This process is different from past budget-planning efforts by the council, Rose said.

This time there is "more information for capital improvements and alternative service levels," Rose said.

Also different, Rose said, was the degree to which he involved department heads in the budget planning. Each was asked to look at their department's needs in the context of the city's needs, and not just as an isolated department.

Some council members have mentioned the possibility of the city considering a bond measure in the fall.

"To me that's a very open issue," Rose said. "Tax increases are always an option," too, he said. "That's an issue for the council."

The question is, "What do we really want here?" Rose said, about service levels and capital improvements.

Some projects the council may have on their wish list of capital improvements include a swimming pool, gymnasium and San Antonio Road median landscaping, said Los Altos Mayor Lou Becker.

"Those kinds of things take significant dollars and won't fit into the budget," he said.

Another issue for Becker, he said, are reserves. "Are they adequate?" he asked.

At 7 p.m. next Monday and Tuesday the council will hold special meetings regarding the budget, in Room A, Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos.

At the first meeting, staff will be presenting the information in the budget packet, Rose said. At the second meeting, there will be "talk about what we want to tell the (29-member citizen) blue ribbon committee" for their work on the budget.

The blue ribbon committee will be meeting at 7 p.m. May 20 and 27 in Hillview Hall at the Hillview Center. Their task will be to take the council input, direction and sense of city priorities and look at the budget components.

In June the council will finalize the budget. All meetings are open to the public.