LAKEPORT — The Lakeport City Council put off adopting its budget Tuesday night until a special July 29 meeting, when the council will take a closer look at Measure I spending. City Manager Jerry Gillham said he hoped the city could adopt the budget before he leaves for Iraq Aug.1.
Gillham told the council the city was $172,000 in the red last year at budget time, and currently is $228,221 in the black. Councilman Jim Irwin said as proposed, the city budget shows expenses will exceed revenues by approximately $65,000.
Irwin asked City Financial Director Janet Tavernier to show the council an accounting of what Measure I funds are proposed to be spent on new projects in the 2008-09 fiscal year. Tavernier said Measure I funds are primarily for public works projects, but should also be spent on other general fund expenses. Measure I revenue is expected to be $675,000 this year, according to Tavernier.
To avoid layoffs and keep Westside Park and Westshore Pool open, Gillham suggested the city adopt an early retirement incentive plan.
The city was considering adopting The Golden Handshake under the city”s CalPERS retirement benefit plan for its employees. Gillham said the program would allow the city to pay a maximum of 400 hours of salary to a retiring employee, and not pay two years of salary, as the city did previously. He estimated the measure would save the city approximately $90,000 per employee.
Tavernier told the council the measure would allow the city to buy two years of service credit, but instead of paying upfront, the city”s contribution rate would be re-evaluated at the end of the two-year period based on how many retirement-eligible employees work for the city at that time, how long they had worked for the city and how old they were.
“It”s possible that it (the city”s rate) could go up, because we”re paying for all those retirees. But it could also go down, because we would have less age and less years of service at that time,” Tavernier said.
Police Chief Kevin Burke told the council that a county correctional officer was willing to take on the school resource officer role. The position would be solely dedicated to the schools rather than providing backup for city police, and would have five to six more hours per day available. The proposition would cost his department $7,000 annually, and he said Sheriff Rodney Mitchell expressed a desire to help pay that amount.
Burke also said to save the city money, his department could continue to handle animal care and control calls for another year, but not indefinitely.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
