Glendora's answer to $1.6 million shortfall

If there's a budget shortfall, the funds have got to come from somewhere. So in Glendora, the city is increasing fees for licenses, whether it is a business license to parking permits, Dan Abenschein reports. The city manager, however, did say that he expects most of the increases to affect mainly developers.

The increase is expected to bring in $90,000. The budget shortfall is $1.6 million. Other cost savings come from keeping employee positions open.

Is this the best way the city can make up money for a budget shortfall?

Council OKs fee hikes
By Dan Abendschein, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 04/09/2008 11:20:07 PM PDT

Other fee increases include water meter installation, facility rental costs, animal control services and parking fines.

City Manager Chris Jeffers said the shortfall stems, in part, from declining business at Glendora stores.

"A big chunk of this deficit is from a loss in sales tax," Jeffers said, adding that declining property taxes also have affected the city revenues.

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Payroll savings will come from open positions in the Police Department, public works, city library and parks and recreation. Some of those positions were budgeted to be filled but will now remain empty, Jeffers said.

Others, he said, were held open earlier in the year, saving departments a significant amount of money.

Glendora Police Chief Charles Montoya, whose department saved about $485,000 from open positions earlier in the year, said that only one of his 58 budgeted positions is currently unfilled.