On Tuesday night the Eureka City Council is set to approve a budget for the upcoming fiscal year that will see cuts across all city departments – police, fire, parks, public works, etc. But after last week’s two special meetings on next year’s budget, the city has somewhat altered the plan.

The changes are spelled out in a final budget addendum that the city published to its website this morning. The addendum includes:

  • The restoration of about $190,000 to the Eureka Police Department’s planned $834,000 budget hit.
  • Sharp cuts in the city’s contribution to the Eureka Chamber of Commerce, Eureka Main Street and the Humboldt County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, in addition to other local groups.
  • Higher entrance fees at the Sequoia Park Zoo.

The bulk of the monies restored to the EPD’s budget will be used to maintain the city’s arrangement with the county animal shelter, which handles lost and abandoned pets taken up in the city limits (and elsewhere). Police Chief Andy Mills had argued that his department could take care of found animals on its own, probably with help from volunteers, and that this would eliminate the need to pay the county some $130,000 annually out of the police department’s budget.

But Mills’ proposal got strong pushback from the city council – particularly Councilmember Melinda Ciarabellini, a former sheriff’s office employee who made the case that feeding and housing the animals was not as cheap or easy as it seemed. The rest of the council indicated some agreement with this position, and so the arrangement was put back into Mills’ 2015-16 budget.

The layoff of all the city’s police services officers seems ready to go forward, though the EPD will create three new positions. Two of those – an evidence technician and a public information officer – were already included in Mills’ initial budget proposal, but this morning’s budget addendum also sets aside $60,000 for a third new position in the department. Finance Director Wendy Howard could not be reached today, but during last week’s budget hearings Mills told the council that his next priority would be to hire a crime analyst, a person who would be tasked with detecting patterns of crime.

Much of the money that will be returned to the EPD comes from cuts in the city’s contributions to local business organizations. The city appears set to cut 20 percent of its total contributions to the Humboldt County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau and the Eureka Chamber of Commerce, which will save the city $90,000 and $25,000, respectively. In addition, the city looks to reduce its annual contribution to Eureka Main Street by $10,000, and to the Humboldt Del-Norte Film Commission by $2,475.

Additional community organizations that are scheduled take a hit: The Clarke Museum ($4,500 less than last year), the Boys & Girls Club ($4,050) and Keep Eureka Beautiful ($225). 

Finally, the staff foresees raising an additional $70,000 by hiking the price of tickets to the Sequoia Park Zoo.

This is all provisional, but staff notes that the council seemed to reach broad consensus on these final alterations to the budget during last week’s meetings. But the final vote will take place after a public hearing at the next regular council meeting: Tuesday, June 16, at 6 p.m. at Eureka City Hall (531 K Street). If you have a point to make about any of the above, this will be your last chance to make it.

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