Few Changes Planned in City’s Next Budget

Still struggling to fund major services while faced with low revenues, Oxnard’s proposed budget for next year includes few changes from the past year, with minimal increases for police and fire services.

Preparing for Tuesday’s budget session, city staff finalized a proposed $61-million budget that continues to place major emphasis on police and fire services, with nearly 50% of the city’s revenue going to those departments.

Staff recommends that police services receive $23 million, compared to $22 million last year. However, those numbers include almost $1 million worth of federal grants, Police Chief Harold Hurtt said.

The Fire Department is budgeted for $7.7 million, up from $7.5 million last year.

“We could always use more officers, but I do understand the fiscal condition of the city, and the council has been very supportive of our needs,” Hurtt said.

In preliminary budget hearings, Hurtt and interim Fire Chief Henry Lenhart requested additional funding to hire more police officers and firefighters, and to upgrade computer systems.

On Tuesday, the council is scheduled to decide if an unexpected $200,000 worth of savings will be used to fund those requests, City Manager Prisilla Hernandez said.

“We are not looking at cutting any more,” she said. “That is the good news. We thought we might have to cut.”

City officials also recommended that the parks and public grounds services receive $2.5 million, up from last year’s $2.3 million.