Newport council finalizes budget

The Newport Beach City Council adopted a roughly $265-million budget Tuesday for the next fiscal year.

The council approved additional funding for numerous projects across the city as part of its budgeting process, including $135,000 to sponsor Newport Beach Restaurant Week in January 2009 and fund a second citywide restaurant week event in the fall. The money, $35,000 of which will be in the form of matching funds, will go to help the Newport Beach Restaurant Assn. promote both events. The association originally sought $75,000 from the city to sponsor each event, but city officials felt the request was too high.

The council also approved $30,000 to help pay to re-sod the football field at Newport Harbor High School. Newport Harbor students and parents claim the field is in bad shape and the school district doesn’t have enough money to pay for the project.

The 2008-09 Newport Beach budget includes more than $224 million in anticipated revenue for the city.

BRIANNA BAILEY may be reached at (714) 966-4625 or at [email protected].