By: Richard Montenegro Brown | Original Article at pe.com
The city of Beaumont faces a $4 million budget cut, including the elimination of 24 positions, according to city officials. The largest costs reductions come from the police force.
The community and the Beaumont City Council got its first look at the proposed budget for fiscal 2015-2016, which started July 1, during a special meeting and budget workshop Wednesday, Aug. 26.
In the wake of ongoing county and state investigations into financial issues and relationships with contractors, the council had stopped a budget process that was under way and started all over again.
After City Manager Alan Kapanicas was placed on administrative leave as the investigations continued, acting City Manager Elizabeth Gibbs-Urtiaga and independent auditors and government consultants hired by the council set a course to undo years of deficit spending that have been occurring since fiscal 2007-2008, officials said.
The proposed budget presented Wednesday was just for the general fund, the city’s chief operating budget. In a workshop that went late into the evening, the council heard from consulting group Urban Futures, hired to help the city put together a true budget.
The budget as presented included the elimination of 24 full-time equivalent positions and forecasts reduction in compensation with employees, the elimination of things such as the city’s popular concert series, and most notably reductions in the Police Department.
City officials said vacant officer positons are not being filled, a couple of dispatcher positions will be cut and some management positions are being eliminated. Budget requests like new police vehicles have been removed from the budget.