Sonora City Council to get latest budget report on Tuesday

The Sonora City Council will get a mid-year budget update at its final regularly scheduled meeting of the month.

The meeting will be held Tuesday at 5 p.m. in City Hall. It was moved from today in observance of Presidents’ Day.

Tax revenues have been declining since 2008 and general fund deficits have resulted in reductions to the city’s cash reserves for the past three fiscal years, according to meeting documents.

But the city is expected to bank an additional $64,200 to the surplus of $76,200 originally projected in the first-quarter budget report.
 

A one-time revenue of $325,000 will also be added to the general fund surplus for the sale of two properties on Fairview Lane owned by the now dissolved Sonora Redevelopment Agency.

Hiring freezes, budget cuts and reduced personnel costs have helped the city accomplish a projected budget surplus at the end of this fiscal year, according to a memo by City Administrator Tim Miller.

In other business:

• Mother Lode Roundup Parade chairman Jim Opie has requested to appear before the council to obtain authorization for closures of Highway 49 and other city streets for the parades scheduled May 12 this year and May 11, 2013.

•  The council will also consider adopting an ordinance to rezone a property at 1250 S. Washington St. from “commercial” to “tourist and administrative” in order to allow for an existing single-family home. The ordinance has been approved by the Sonora Planning Commission and the council voted to skip the first reading at its last meeting on Feb. 6.

• A special council meeting will be considered for Feb. 27 at 3 p.m. in order to consider actions related to the successor agency of the Sonora Redevelopment Agency, including approving a debt repayment.

• Sonora Fire Chief Mike Barrows will introduce intern firefighters Brandon Brockmire and EnRico Martinez. He will also recognize Capt. Grant Miller, fire engineer Neil Gamez, intern firefighter Dallas Andrew and volunteer firefighter James Klyn as the “2011 Firefighters of the Year.”

•  Sonora Police Chief Mark Stinson will recognize the police department’s “2011 Employees and Volunteers of the Year,” which include Sgt. Glenn Roberts, dispatcher Naomi Kneip, Officer Dennis Townsend, PACT member Ricky Roberts and Police Explorer Kayla Gladysz.

 Contact Alex MacLean at amaclean@ uniondemocrat.com or 588-4530.