Are City Leaders doing a good job handling the budget an pressures on it from the State?

By Mirna Burciaga

The actions of the policy makers, the Council are less praiseworthy and, to many, indefensible.

There is not big mystery to the budget of this, or any other city on California.

All the evidence indicates that the City Finance Department and the City Manager are qualified for their tasks and perform at a high level. The budget of a General Law City is determined in format and substance by State Law. The use of free use of funds is constrained by legislative mandates, and in the acceptance of grant monies, by the agency awarding the grant.

The actions of the policy makers, the Council are less praiseworthy and, to many, indefensible.

The loss of future income from the real estate Tax Increment at the 1901 Newport development puts an extra burden on taxpayers in other areas of the City to provide the mandated services such as Police, Fire, Parks, street maintenance, etc.

The "donation" of $600,000 in Parking Fees to the new concert hall is indefensible. The percentage of Costa Mesans who attend symphonies is too small and the Performing Art Center has for years refused to admit that is located in our City.

Council watchers have for years derided the performance of the City Attorney who was once heard to advice the Council with words to the effect of, "Don't listen to anything that I say." When the Council finally faced the issue, a $750,000 award was considered the cheapest way out for the City.

Add to those matters the foolishness of wasting anyone's money on the Santa Ana Bridges, the refusal to work with Caltrans for meaningful solutions to the downtown traffic crush and similar issues, and the conclusion must be that the Council is in need of more than one new face.