Rolling Hills Estates staff present conservative preliminary budget; refuse rates, insurance and legal costs flagged for follow-up

Robert Samario, a staff presenter, told the Rolling Hills Estates council/finance committee that preliminary projections for next fiscal year show the city roughly structurally balanced but that several external factors will require monitoring and possible council direction.

"I think the only thing that would be of any concern ... is the refuse side of things," Samario said, flagging an upcoming decision on contractor rate changes as a near-term item. He told the committee he expects property-tax growth of about 4% for next year, and that he based revenue projections on mid-year results and recent trends.

The presentation covered key revenue assumptions: property taxes (more than half of the general fund), an assumed 4% increase next year (Samario said he had used 4.75% for the current year), a projected real-property transfer tax of roughly $60,000 for the year (the meeting noted $30,000 year-to-date), and an adjustable building-permit revenue estimate of $450,000 for the next fiscal year based on several projects in the pipeline.

Samario said the city received a $48,000 grant for turf removal and irrigation work that was not previously budgeted. He also discussed salary and benefits assumptions tied to the city's memorandum of…