In a unanimous vote during its June 11 meeting, the Artesia City Council voted to declare a fiscal emergency.
The city of Artesia predicted that many city services from street sweeping to its public safety agreement with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department could face drastic cuts. Consequently, this puts the fiscal crisis as a priority for the city.
City Manager Maria Dadian recommended the fiscal emergency action to the Council after loss of revenues and the abolition of the city’s redevelopment agency have made fiscal matters worse despite prudence over the years.
“As you are aware, continuous State takeaways over the last several years coupled with declining revenues have forced the city of Artesia to make substantial cuts to city services and programs,” she said during the Council meeting.
Dadian said that has resulted in stopping construction projects and economic development plans.
To make up for lost revenue from the redevelopment agency closure, Dadian said the city had to rely on using general fund reserves and cutting costs, including laying off staffers, closing parks and city facilities.
“While significant cost saving measures have been employed by the city to address the ongoing budget crisis, those steps may not be sufficient to avoid significant further budget cuts and cuts to community services,” she said.
Approval of the 2012-13 city budget by the City Council had to be delayed to a special June 25th meeting due to staff’s worry about the condition of city revenues.
Other notable actions by the Council during its June meeting:
- Presented a proclamation in honor of the Cerritos/Artesia Relay for Life at Gahr High School June 23-24.
- Denied approval of a conditional use permit for a dog kennel located at 11705 Arkansas Street.
- Delayed a decision for 90 days on parking requirements for a multi-purpose room located at .
The next regular Artesia City Council will be held on July 9 at . For more information, call (562) 865-6262 or go to www.cityofartesia.us.
