YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ward Winning News al A pa
Vol. 9, No. 5
Antioch, California
www.antiochpress.com
City cuts leave $1.2M deficit by Dave Roberts Staff Writer
The City Council Tuesday night enacted a series of budget cuts to deal with declining revenues, but the cuts aren’t enough to prevent a projected $1.2 million deficit in the 2009-10 budget year that begins in July. As a result, more cuts will likely be needed, possibly including employee layoffs. The council did not discuss that possibility, but instead focused on whether it should still spend money to survey residents’ views of the way things are going in Antioch and whether residents would support a tax hike to help pay for police services. In a marked contrast to his optimism about the budget outlook in a candidates’ forum before the November election, Councilman Brian Kalinowski sounded alarm bells Tuesday night about the dire situation. “The reality of all of the (budget cut) actions that this
“There is no more rainy-day money; there are no more rabbits out of our hat or tricks that we can pull to make it right.
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Brian Kalinowski council took at the last meeting, which was a huge first step, we end next year still with a deficit of $1.2 million, and that’s very concerning,” he said. “There is no more rainy-day money; there are no more rabbits out of our hat or tricks that we can pull to make it right. So that is the gravity of the situation.” The budget cuts include leaving vacant positions vacant, postponing the hiring of a deputy district attorney, reducing services and supplies, reorganizing the Public Works Department, publishing the city newsletter online instead of in print and reducing employee travel and training. The one cut the council de-
cided to hold off on making was the Citizens Satisfaction Survey, which is expected to cost $50,000. The council preferred to wait until it gets updated revenue numbers in March before deciding whether or not to postpone the survey. “This might be an important time to get feedback from our citizens as to where they think we should go,” said Councilwoman Martha Parsons. “This could come out of the residential allocation money. I think it’s important to let our citizens have some input.” Councilwoman Mary Rocha wasn’t sure that this is the right time to gauge residents’ satisfaction with the way things
are going. “I’m just wondering what would happen right now when we are all in a serious matter of just holding onto our own houses and holding onto our own jobs,” she said. “I’m just not sure that the timing is correct.” Councilman Reggie Moore argued that the timing could not be better because the city’s fiscal crisis is an opportunity to find out whether residents would support increasing their property taxes to pay for police services as well as what areas they wouldn’t mind seeing cut. “No one likes to pay higher taxes,” acknowledged Moore. “But we just can’t cut, cut, cut, cut, cut and expect tomorrow that things are going to be better. There’s only way to gauge that, and that is to engage the public … those who pay the bills. “They may say a loud and clear ‘no.’ But it’s incumbent upon us to have that conversation. We are looking at 50 to 60 see Deficit page 18A
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January 30, 2009
THIS WEEK
Thanks for your service
Our grateful spotlight shines on those who put their lives on the line.
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Caffeinated conversation You’re invited to join in a casual but stimulating dialogue at the next Coffee With the Cops gettogether.
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Hoop dreams dashed
Chamber evening on the bright side Seelinger, Slatten earn posthumous honors by Dave Roberts Staff Writer
The economy might be filled with doom and gloom, but there was nothing but glitz and glamour at the Antioch Chamber of Commerce’s Inaugural Gala last Friday night at Lone Tree Golf and Event Center. Joyce Seelinger and Carol Slatten, who devoted much of their lives to community service and who died within a week of each other in late November, were posthumously honored with the chamber’s Citizen of the Year for Lifetime Achievement award. Wayne Steffen won the Citizen of the Year for Most Impact in 2008 award for spearheading the construction of a children’s playground in City Park. The Youth of the Year Award went to Keoreyontay “Kiki” Saunders for turning his life around and inspiring others to do likewise. The Corporate Business of the Year is Pacific Gas & Electric, which has contributed to numerous community causes, including upgrading the lighting at the El Campanil Theatre and helping with the City Park renovation. Bernie Cabrera, owner of Queen
The Panthers took a lead into the final frame of a hard-nosed game, but couldn’t make it stick.
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INSIDE
Photo by Dave Roberts
John Slatten accepts the Citizen of the Year for Lifetime Achievement award on behalf of his late wife of 58 years, Carol Slatten, as their daughter, Emily, wipes away a tear. B’s Quilt Shop, won the Small Business of ora of foreclosed homes throughout Antioch the Year award for donating quilts to seniors, and a city budget crisis. But the new chamber Chairman Ralph soldiers and local organizations. The annual gala is a night for celebra- Garrow Jr., owner of Ralph Garrow Real tion, so the focus was not on the economic Estate, in his remarks to the nearly full room, downturn that has resulted in more empty see Gala page 18A storefronts than usual in Rivertown, a pleth-
Business ............................. 5B Calendar ..........................19B Classifieds ........................14B Cop Log ...........................15A Education ..........................8A Entertainment ................10B Food .................................12B Health & Beauty ............... 6B Milestones .......................17B Opinion ...........................14A Sports ................................. 1B WebExtras ......................... 1B
FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A