Walnut City Council to Vote on $17.5 Million Budget

The Walnut City Council tonight will consider the approval of $17.5 million budget plan.  

City staff and the council had a study session two weeks ago to discuss the proposed plan for fiscal year 2013-14, which begins July 1.  

“We’re always happy to present a balanced budget,” City Manager Rob Wishner said to council.  

Projected resources, or revenues, are expected to total $17,516,290 and expenditures $17,488,100.   

“Of the resources, we typically try to present fairly conservative numbers,” Wishner said. “We are a little bit aggressive on our revenue numbers this year but certainly confident that we will hit our mark.”  

Of the total budget, $16,091,290 in resources will be applied for the next fiscal year and $16,063,100 in expenditures.  

“We are working on the edge year to year to year,” he said. "They are pretty much even in terms of what we’re bringing in and what is going out.”  

Also included in the budget is $1.4 million in capital improvement projects for 2013-14.  Trail and road resurfacing and maintenance projects are planned for the upcoming fiscal year.

Wishner said both property and sales tax revenues are expected to see a bump.

Budget impacts related to spending include $129,700 for the 2014 city election, a 5 percent increase in the sheriff’s contract, the ongoing transfer of expenses for the Lighting and Open Space Maintenance District, a general fund loan to that district totaling $104,000, and Meadowpass Road monitoring and maintenance.  

Staff and the council members discussed the issues with funding the LOSMD.   Finance Director Chris Londo said loans to the district from the general fund total around $2.7 million since 2007.  

The council members asked about making the public aware of the rising costs of maintaining the city’s green belts, especially when only one of the districts includes a cost of living increase on what residents pay.  

Community Services Director Mary Rooney said a landscape tax is harder to get passed than a school bond, which is among the toughest.   The city is not trimming trees at the level it would like to because of limited funding, Rooney said.   

“We are not able to replace landscaping,” she said. “We have antiquated irrigation systems.”  

Mayor Tom King said that a marketing campaign needs to be launched to let residents know about the LOSMD financial issues. 

“By having a dialogue with the community and getting the community involved…let the people make that decision,” he said. “As a council I think we will live with that decision.”    

The Walnut City Council meets at 7 p.m. tonight at City Hall, 21201 La Puente Road.