La Verne city manager outlines proposed budget, schedules City Council consideration for June 16

Ken Doomer, La Verne city manager, outlined the city’s proposed budget process and said the City Council will consider the final budget on June 16. "Our budget year runs from July 1 through June 30," he said, describing the fiscal period the proposal covers.

Doomer said the city began its budget process in January and holds an annual strategic planning session in February to guide priorities. He said public budget workshops begin in May; the second workshop concluded on June 2. "We just finished the second one on June 2 with the final budget being considered by the city council on June 16," he said.

The manager identified property tax and sales tax as the city’s primary revenue sources and said the city also collects fees for services such as building permits and recreational programs. "The city is financed mostly through property tax and sales tax," Doomer said, and he added that the city receives some grants and other taxes earmarked for street, road and sidewalk improvements.

Doomer cautioned that "some of the unfunded state mandates increase our expenditures," calling those requirements "hard and difficult to keep up with." He said staff continually reviews services and programs — including recreational opportunities, police, fire and public works improvements — to maintain efficient delivery while managing costs.

Acknowledging a fiscal gap, Doomer said the city’s revenues are "lagging behind our expenditures" and asked for input from residents and the City Council on how to preserve services while balancing the budget. He directed listeners to the city’s website for details: cityoflaverne.org/proposedbudget.

Next steps: the City Council will consider the final budget at its June 16 meeting; the city manager encouraged public participation at workshops and through posted materials on the city website.