Santa Clarita’s City Council plans to approve adjustments to the city’s budget at their meeting Tuesday, including receiving more money in taxes and spending more on projects.
The city estimates over $8.6 million in revenues and over $8.9 million in expenditures will need to be adjusted of the $197.7 million budget approved in June for the 2017-18 fiscal year.
Among the new revenues, the city anticipates an influx of $441,449 coming in as a result of the Gas Tax Fund approved by the state legislature earlier this year.
The gas tax increased 12 cents per gallon for California drivers as of Nov. 1 to go toward transportation improvements, including repairing roads.
“Our gas tax fund is used for a variety of transportation needs,” Assistant to the City Manager Jerrid McKenna said. “It hurts at the pump, but that’s what the money is intended to do. It goes directly back into state and local transportation needs.”
The city anticipates they will put the funding into their street overlay program, McKenna said. Though, $41,000 of this funding will go to replacing a street maintenance vehicle, the council agenda cites.
In their expenditures, the city has designated $2 million to go toward buying the land for the new Canyon Country Community Center. The center is slated to open by 2020 on the corner of Sierra Highway and Soledad Canyon Road, replacing the existing one on Flying Tiger Drive.
Presently, the funds are in the land acquisition budget, but the city plans to move the funds over to the Open Space Preservation District Fund.
“It’s all related to the land acquisition for the community center,” McKenna said.
Over $2.2 million more is estimated to be spent paying city staff to accommodate the increased statewide minimum wage to $11 from $10.50 and make adjustments to employees’ health, dental and vision coverage.
