An urban forester and a code enforcement officer will be among the four new positions added to Encinitas city staff in the new fiscal year, which begins July 1.
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The City Council last week unanimously approved a proposed budget that includes the four new positions, as well as all the other expenses proposed for the coming year.
“(It’s) a very well-planned-out, and very good budget,” City Manager Jennifer Campbell said at the end of the council’s meeting.
Other than the addition of $33,000 for “enhanced economic development services,” the spending plan looks pretty much as it did when it was introduced on May 20, she said during debate on the item.
Revenue in the city’s General Fund budget — the spending plan that covers most day-to-day city expenses, including salaries — is forecast to be $121.7 million during the next fiscal year. That’s an increase of 3.4% over the $117.7 million that’s now anticipated for the current fiscal year.
Expenses are forecast to total $113.1 million in the new fiscal year, a 6.6% increase over the $106.1 million figure that’s anticipated in the current fiscal year.
The spending plan also contains what’s referred to as a stabilization reserve, or money set aside for unexpected expenses. It will be “fully funded at 2 percent of revenue,” or $2.4 million in the coming fiscal year, a city staff report states. The city also has a fully funded, contingency reserve that will contain $22.6 million in the new fiscal year, the report continues.
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City staff members said the hiring process will begin immediately for the new urban forester position, so the tree expert could be in place in a month or so. In addition to the tree person and the new code enforcement officer, the spending plan calls for adding a facilities specialist and a lifeguard sergeant. Three new city vehicles also will be purchased for the new employees.
Encinitas currently has 250.75 full-time-equivalent employees, not including San Dieguito Water District personnel.
Only one public speaker commented on the spending plan before the council’s vote. Frequent council meeting attendee Scott Campbell said he supported the proposed budget, but thought the council should have placed it earlier on the night’s agenda, so it could have been discussed before 11 p.m. He said other items on the evening’s agenda, including a debate about the relocation of the Leucadia Farmers Market, were “frivolous” when compared to the massive spending plan.
“I support this budget, I support this council, but you’ve got to make it easy for me,” he said.
Council members and city staff said the budget vote was placed toward the end of the agenda because the item had already been discussed in prior meetings. One city finance employee called the vote the final milestone in the annual budget planning cycle, which began months ago with workshop sessions. And, Councilmember Jim O’Hara said the vote could be considered a simple ratification of what had previously been “deeply discussed.”
To view the coming year’s spending plan and other budget documents, visit: https://encinitas.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=7&clip_id=3853&meta_id=208866
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