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By Jonathan Goetz
June 17, 2017 (Lemon Grove) - The Lemon Grove City Council is expected to approve a 1% or $139,990 increase to a general fund of $13,153,490 for the 2017-18 fiscal year this Tuesday, June 20. As last year’s tax revenue was lower than anticipated, the actual increase, if projections are accurate, is $704,000 or 6%.
Lemon Grove’s City Manager Lydia Romero said in a letter to Council within that budget document, “Over the next year staff will be exploring new revenue options for the City Council and the community to consider.”
The budget for fiscal year 2017-18 is for $26.3 million, of which $20.6 million is for operational expenditures, $3.9 million for capital expenditures and $1.75 million for scheduled bond payments.
Highlights include a 6% increase for the County Sheriffs’ contract (from FY15-16 actual), 2% cost of living increase for fire safety employees (as required by the Heartland contract) and a 2% increase for the Chula Vista animal services contract.
The budget and letter from Romero can be found on the City of Lemon Grove’s website.
The gas tax increase that starts in October will yield an estimated $153,000 in new revenue for Lemon Grove in the fiscal year that begins next month.
Dana Stephens of Communities Against Substance Abuse (CASA) suggests that a tobacco licensing ordinance could be drafted that raises revenue to cover expenses in addition to funding a sting operation in the wake of a 2016 operation that found 8 of 26 stores, or 31%, sold cigarettes or vapes to minors.
Such a program has more than monetary benefits. Councilman Gary Kendrick from neighboring El Cajon explained the program to the East County Magazine as “our tobacco licensing ordinance reduced the shops selling to minors from 43% to less than 1%. That’s a huge success by any measure.”
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