New Budget Maintains the Level of Services

The City Council this week adopted a $37-million budget for fiscal 1996-97 that will maintain the current level of services without increasing fees.

Councilman John J. Collins pointed out that Fountain Valley has now balanced its budget for nine years without having to dip into reserves--”a prudent approach.”

The council on Tuesday also adopted a $23.7-million operating budget, an increase of 1.56%, or $364,591, over last year’s.

Fiscal Services Manager Elizabeth Fox said that the increase anticipates the costs of November’s municipal election as well as rising operating expenses, such as buying paramedic supplies and paying for a Police Department system that tracks and identifies criminals.

The council approved $128,000 in new capital projects, among them restoring the fountain at City Hall, installing 17 street lights on Slater Avenue, renovating the city’s sewer system and buying three personal computers for the engineering staff.

An $8.2-million spending plan for the Agency for Community Development was also approved, with $1.5 million of that earmarked for capital improvements.

Those projects are to include water system upgrades and repairs, traffic improvements on Euclid Street and infrastructure improvements to the South Park industrial area.