By Brett Callwood
At the City Council meeting on the evening of Tuesday, May 23, staff presented the proposed amended budget for the fiscal year 2023-24 to the Members.
City Manager Clint Osorio first reiterated the city’s mission. “The elected leadership and employees of the City of Gardena individually and collectively are committed to maintaining an efficient and effective government that ensures the highest quality of life, a safe and attractive environment, and a sound economic future for the community.”
The proposed amendment highlights include: Measure G, an increase in sales tax effective 2020, is now 14 percent of the General Fund budget, at $11.4 million; four new personnel was added – a Code Enforcement Officer, a Code Enforcement Supervisor, a Permit Tech, and an Associate Planner; several grants were added totalling over $7 million.
Proposed revenue for 2024 now totals $82,002,199, as opposed to $77,593,605 in the originally adopted budget. Expenditures have also increased, from $77,554,469 to $81,831,342. The difference in revenue and the expenditures, then, nearly cancel each other out.
Staff predicts that, when the fiscal year ends, the General Fund balance will be $33,898,746.
There will now be two budget forums, on Wednesday, June 7 and Wednesday, June 14, after which the budget will be passed back to the council for adoption.
The first forum takes place at the Nakaoka Community Center, 1670 W. 162nd St., Gardena, at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 7. The second takes place on Zoom: https://US06web.zoom.us/j/89324153606.
The full budget can be viewed at City Hall, and online at https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/1961360/5-23-23_City_Council_Meeting-Proposed_Amended_Budget_PPT_FY2023-24_-.pdf
Later in the meeting, the Council voted in favor of declaring Juneteenth a public holiday. The vote was 4-1, with Mayor Pro Tem Paulete Francis having an issue with the language.
Finally, Gardena PD Chief Mike Saffell was rewarded for his good work with a new contract, expiring in December 2025, which saw his salary increase to $268,780 from $260,952, a 3% increase.
