YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ward Winning News al A pa
Vol. 9, No. 23
Including Surrounding Communities
www.thepress.net
Minor city budget deficit forecast by Dave Roberts Staff Writer
Despite numerous cost-cutting measures adopted by city officials several months ago, Oakley is projected to run a General Fund deficit for the second year in a row in the fiscal year starting in July. The good news is that the deficit of $94,000 in a $12.9 million budget is significantly less (0.7 percent) than previously expected, due to savings from closing City Hall on the third Friday of the month and for the last two weeks of the year, not filling staff vacancies, replacing the full-time city attorney with a part-time attorney and eliminating the Planning Commission. “There is a deficit that is proposed. It’s very small in comparison to the reserves that are available,” City Manager Bryan Montgomery told the City Council at its May 26 meeting. “If this is the worst that local government (faces) … and we are riding it through with just a $94,000 deficit, we are doing very well.” Montgomery said it might not even be that bad, noting that he is using a conservative estimate that property tax revenue will decrease 10 percent in the coming year due to lower property values. Some governmental agencies are estimating an 8-percent reduction. Since every percentage drop equals about $50,000, if property taxes drop only 8 percent, Oakley will not run a deficit in the 2009-10 budget year. But even if the deficit is $94,000, Oakley’s
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June 5, 2009
THIS WEEK
At the head of the class
$2M $1.5M High school valedictorians and salutatorians tell how they got where they are – and where they go from here.
$1M $500K
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Changing of the guard
$0 -$500K Source: City of Oakley
Press Graphic by John Carter
Oakley’s budget is expected to run a deficit of $94,000 in the fiscal year beginning in July, but to return to surpluses thereafter. finances will still be in good shape because the budget ran million-dollar surpluses from 2005 to 2008 that allowed the city’s reserve fund to build up. The reserve is expected to drop to 27 percent of expenditures from the 32-percent level two
years ago, but that’s still quite healthy considering that the city’s policy is to maintain at least a 20-percent reserve. see Budget page 12A
Freedom High will welcome a new and home-grown principal, but its former chief is staying in the education fray.
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Falcons hoist trophy high
Kids have a blast at 2009 County Fair by Dave Roberts Staff Writer
Photo by Dave Roberts
A goatish Mona Lisa smile appears on the goateed face of this County Fair participant.
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One of the attractions packing them in at this year’s County Fair, which ended Sunday in Antioch, was the shark show, featuring a diver who played one shark like a banjo, waved its fin at the audience and danced with it while another shark swam through a hoop. The first show on Thursday, the fair’s opening day, began with a demonstration of the unbreakability of the shark tank to reassure the audience. David Farrell of Concord, a week short of 5 years old, was chosen from the audience to tap on the glass. The tank, of course, sprung a fake leak, surprising and soak-
ing Farrell as he tried to plug it with his hands, and spraying some in the audience before the water was turned off. “He was certainly surprised. He thought he was doing something wrong for a second,” said his father Robert. “I really just thought it was adorable; they handled it well. He will never forget it for his entire life.” The Farrells were among hundreds who took advantage of the fair’s free admission before 3 p.m. on opening day. They spent a lot of time in the Kids Zone building, which offered youngsters hands-on things to do – similar to San Francisco’s Exploratorium. see Fair page 21A
Freedom knocked in runs and knocked De La Salle off its pedestal in a convincing NCS championship victory.
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INSIDE Calendar ..........................27B Classifieds ........................18B Cop Logs ..........................17A Entertainment ................13B Health & Beauty .............10B Milestones ......................... 8B Opinion ...........................16A Sports ................................. 1B WebExtras! ....................... 1B
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