Campbell officials working to eliminate budget deficit

By Jeanne Starmack

The projected budget deficit has been reduced, and more cuts are coming.

CAMPBELL — Campbell administrators and officials still are working to present a balanced budget this month to a state panel that oversees the city’s finances.

The panel has told the city to get rid of a $463,000 deficit that’s in the budget now.

Revisions to eliminate the deficit must be finished for a Feb. 25 meeting between the city and the state Financial Planning and Supervision Commission for the City of Campbell.

That panel has overseen Campbell’s finances since the city went into fiscal emergency in 2004.

City finance director Sherman Miles said that to date, cuts in the budget have reduced the deficit to $161,000.

Council read several amendments containing the budget revisions at its meeting earlier this month.

Council President William Vansuch said more amendments are expected at Wednesday’s meeting.

So far, $157,822 has been cut from the city’s general fund. Another $32,569 is cut from the park fund.

In the general fund, the police department’s budget is being cut by $103,411 to $945,780. City finance director Sherman Miles said the only part of that cut to affect police operations will be $9,685 for gas and oil.

The rest, he said, comes from lower workers’ compensation, a medical insurance increase not being as high as expected, and calculations corrected regarding police pensions. He also said a $19,000 carryover from the safety- forces levy helped the city to keep wages and benefits the same.

Other general-fund cuts include $22,090 from the city council budget, $5,125 from the municipal court, $29,261 from the finance department and $31,451 from administration.