Santa Fe Springs council approves second-quarter budget updates; water utility flags $4 million billing shortfall

The Santa Fe Springs City Council on Feb. 21 approved the fiscal year 2024–25 second-quarter budget review and associated adjustments after receiving a detailed presentation from the finance director. City staff also reported a significant shortfall in the water fund tied to a prolonged billing-system outage.

Lana Dietrich, finance director, told the council the city is reporting a $2,100,000 surplus for fiscal year 2024–25 through the second quarter, driven largely by vacancy savings. “I’m happy to report that for the fiscal year 2024–25, we’re reporting $2,100,000 of surplus,” Dietrich said. The council was told the city’s unassigned fund balance is tracking toward about $43,000,000 in reserves — up from roughly $40,000,000 — and that staff recommends allocating $1,000,000 from an economic contingency to address unexpected events.

Dietrich described personnel and expense posture: the city currently…