Budget hits the most vulnerable Budget hits the most vulnerable (May 12, 2004)

Some of the city's most needy and vulnerable residents have the most to lose in Menlo Park's proposed budget for the next fiscal year, a disturbing trend that we urge the City Council to take a hard look at May 18 during the next round of budget hearings.

Certainly City Manager David Boesch has struggled to find the $2.24 million in savings and revenue increases needed to balance the budget. He is proposing cutting the equivalent of 10.75 employees for about $692,000 in savings, and the council has approved numerous fee hikes for city services, which could bring in around $400,000 annually.

Other actions proposed include a $750,000 infusion from the city's $27.8 million reserves. Some city employees could also opt to take early retirement or an enhanced severance package, or work fewer hours.

The first take of Mr. Boesch's budget included the following proposals:

** Eliminating a three-quarter-time senior recreation leader position at the Onetta Harris Community Center in Belle Haven.

** Reducing the equivalent of one full-time position in the senior center.

** Eliminating the coordinator position for the downtown shuttle that serves commuters and senior citizens. All of these positions serve constituencies who do not have the resources to get them on their own. The Belle Haven center serves up to 80 youths a day who depend on the sports and other programs offered there. The city has mentioned plans to shift some parts of the Belle Haven offerings to the Boys and Girls Club, although that facility lacks the playing fields and swimming pool available at Onetta Harris. Elimination of the Menlo Park shuttle coordinator is especially difficult, since the position is largely funded by grants. More than 80 seniors at Crane Place and Little House have signed a petition voicing their support for keeping Debbie Helming, who has overseen the shuttle since its inception in 1989. Matt Henry, president of the Belle Haven Homeowners Association, told the council last month to be wary of making savings now that could result in higher costs in the future. He said he sees trouble if the council approves a decrease in community policing at the same time there is an increase in the number of "kids with nothing to do" as a result of cuts in Onetta Harris programs. With its large reserves, and other options, Menlo Park can help alleviate the above-mentioned cuts by taking several actions:

** To help save the Belle Haven position, the council should strongly consider finding financial support in the private sector for the $22,500 it spends annually on the July Fourth, Halloween and other community events.

** To help save the transportation coordinator, senior citizens have suggested eliminating all or part of the car allowance now paid to Mr. Boesch and 10 other managers, a total of $43,200 a year.

Finally, we applaud the council's willingness to tap $750,000 in budget reserves to help balance a good portion of the coming year's budget deficit. And we respect Mr. Boesch's effort to make the difficult choices he has announced. However, the council should note that there are alternatives, including a larger contribution from budget reserves to save the Belle Haven and transportation coordinator positions.

Menlo Park is not a poor city by any means. Depleting the $27.8 million reserve fund by $1 million amounts to less than a 4 percent decrease, which does not include the fund's earnings, which at 5 percent interest should return about $1.4 million a year.

With the economy picking up, the city should see its sales-tax income begin to increase, ideally enough to balance the budget soon so it will not be necessary to make even more painful cuts in the years ahead.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.