Upland passes budget

The city passed it's proposed budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year while possible loss of revenue and the state's budget crisis looms overhead.

The city's operating budget of $40,309,740 with $10.9 million in reserves is down 3.6 percent from last year.

This year's budget is "certainly the most difficult I think in my career and I think in many of our executives' careers because what we have is a situation where you're trying to modify your budget at a time when the economy is sliding," said Upland City Manager Robb Quincey.

About $2 million was cut from the budget in February and another $2.5 million was cut to balance this year's budget, Quincey said.

"That's $4 to $5 million worth of cuts in the last six months to prepare and present a balanced budget to our city council," Quincey said.

Elimination of the red light cameras, school crossing guards at intersections, supplies and equipment is expected to save the city money.

To offset increases in personnel costs, the city has enacted salary freezes for one year and suspended recruitment to fill vacant positions.

A number of positions throughout various city departments will be left unfilled including seven positions at the Upland Police Department.

"In retrospect to almost nine years ago it's pretty darn good . We still have $11 million in reserves that we haven't touched," said Upland Mayor John Pomierski.

"A couple years ago we had $20 million in reserves. It's obviously a let down, but there's a lot of things we can't control."

Projects currently under construction are expected to boost property tax slightly over the next year.

The city still expects to move forward with the city's general plan, new animal shelter and fire station as well as street and facility improvements.

Adjustments will have to be made if the state decides to follow through with their proposal to take 8 percent of property tax from local governments.

Upland could lose $1.6 to $1.7 million as a loan to the state.

"The wild card is the state and I think I've expressed my opinion pretty openly how disgusted I am with everybody up there," Pomierski said.

Pomierski and other city officials are considering joining more than 200 other cities in a resolution opposing the taking of property taxes by the State, Pomierski said.

"The only luxury they have that we don't is when they run short they rob the cities and the counties, when we run short there's nobody standing behind us to rob."