Politics & Government

City Budgets for $17.3M Surplus

The City Council approved a 2011-2012 budget at Tuesday night's meeting, anticipating a $17.3 million surplus by year's end.

The Diamond Bar City Council approved its 2011-2012 budget Tuesday, which projects a $17.3 million surplus at the end of the next fiscal year.

The budget, which passed in a 4-1 vote with Councilman Ron Everett opposed, projects city revenues of $23.1 million with expenditures of $22.7 million, leaving a pad of $293,635 to head to reserves at the end of the year.

City Manager Jim DeStefano said an additional $208,000 is expected to go to reserves depending on a county decision that would waive liability insurance costs for contract cities like Diamond Bar for the next year.

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The budget includes the use of $4.1 million of the city's current $21.1 million reserves for improvement and parks projects, leaving the city's surplus funds at $17.3 million.

Mayor Steve Tye noted that city services and events will continue at the same level as in 2010, while neighboring cities like Walnut .

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Councilman Everett, who called Tuesday's proposal "the best budget effort in years," was pressed to vote against the measure for two topics to which he voiced opposition.

Lighting and Landscaping

Funding for city lighting and landscaping work is split into three districts, with each generating taxes that go towards lighting and landscaping work in that district, but Everett said areas with smaller populations are getting a disproportionate amount of the city's general fund to make up for any shortfall.

"I believe in living within our budget and I get critical of other levels of government for not doing living within their means," Everett said.

Funding for the district breaks down as follows:

  • The smallest district — 41 — has 554 households and will receive $36,773 in general fund money for lighting and landscaping after raising $122,157 from fees set at $220.50 per land parcel.
  • District 39, with 1,251 households, will receive $62,002 in general fund money for lighting and landscaping after raising $162,630 from fees set at $130 per parcel.
  • The largest district — 38 — makes up most of the city's population with 17,847 households and receives the least in general fund money for landscaping and lighting with $16,187 from the general fund after raising $267,705 from fees set at $15 per parcel.

Altogether, $117,913 from the general fund will go to lighting and landscaping spending.

Dog Park Funding

The budget proposal included an appropriation for a new dog park at Pantera Park, which Everett said was "jumping out of due process and open government."

"I cannot support the dog park because it has not been heard in a regular public session," Everett said.

City Manager DeStefano said a number of steps of approval remain for the council to set dog park plans in stone, but directed staff to budget for the project.

"I don't believe in setting up a budget unless they're really going to do it," Everett said.

To view the full budget summary, see the PDF attached to this article.


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