Newport budget approved unchallenged

Alicia Robinson

The City Council added roughly $1.5 million to the city’s 2004-05

spending Tuesday night, ultimately approving a $171-million budget for the next fiscal year without contention from the public.

The changes came from a $13-million checklist that contained

revenue adjustments and new spending that council members had

suggested, but it was largely made up of capital improvement projects

that must be re-budgeted because they are carrying over from 2004.

The council unanimously approved the budget.

The biggest supplemental spending proposals from council members

were $200,000 for sidewalks at Irvine Avenue and Santiago Drive,

$95,000 to upgrade Balboa Island streetlights and $80,000 for

upgrades to Pacific Coast Highway from the Santa Ana River to the

Arches. Supplemental requests totaled $1.5 million.

Councilman Steve Bromberg had requested the Balboa streetlight

upgrades, but asked that funding be reduced to $35,000, which will

cover repainting the light poles. The other $60,000 would have paid

for new light globes.

No residents spoke against any budget decisions at Tuesday’s

meeting.

The Mariners Library and Fire Station 7 were the biggest

capital-improvement projects on the list, coming in at $3.85 million

and $3.09 million, respectively.

Otherwise, the balanced budget was considered status quo,

providing $24.2 million in public improvements, special projects and

ongoing maintenance.

Revenues next fiscal year are projected to rise a meager 1.38%

from this year to reach about $156 million.

Employee benefits, retirement costs and contractual salary

increases accounted for most of the increase in this year’s budget,

city officials said. For example, the police department’s negotiated

contract with employees required a 7% salary hike in 2005. That drove

the $2 million increase, which put the department’s spending at $35

million.