As expected, the Berkeley City Council last night adopted the biennial budget for fiscal years 2012 and 2013. The budget, originally presented on May 3, closes a $12.2 million deficit in FY2012 and a $13.3 million deficit in FY2013 by eliminating 79 positions, cutting a number of services, and raising a number of fees (the full 384-page budget report can be accessed here).

The budget had been extensively debated in a number of council meetings since the a discussion of the budget development calendar in October. Last night there was no discussion of the main budget, and it passed without comment. The focus of debate last night was on supplemental allocations for community agencies that had been cut in the proposed budget. Councilmember Linda Maio and Mayor Tom Bates proposed $114,078 in additional funding for nine agencies, and councilmember Max Anderson proposed $264,078 in additional funding for the same nine agencies, as well as the city’s Black Infant Health program, a number of festivals and the city’s pools.

The debate on the two proposals was heated, even though councilmember Jesse Arreguín pointed out that “we’re close”, and attempts should be made to “bridge the gap”. Eventually, the Maio/Bates proposal was agreed, with additional sums for the Cinco de Mayo and Stonewall festivals. 

City Manager Phil Kamlarz had identified the $114,078 as available for one-time use in the general fund because of a terminated contract and the freeing of Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS) funds thanks to six-months funding from Community Services Block Grant. Additionally, the Youth Emergency Assistance Hostel (YEAH) has relinquished its contract of $45,000 per year.

“What has happened over the last few years,” Anderson said, “is the continuous shredding of the safety net in our city.” His proposal was a partial attempt to halt that trend, he said. The extra $150,000, he said, could be found by trimming the city’s budget for paving, which Kamlarz said came to $4.3 million over the two years.

“We’re spending $6.6 million on the agencies,” said councilmember Gordon Wozniak. “It’s not like we’re not supporting the agencies. Our roads have deteriorated to the point where if we don’t do something now, we’ll pay for it. We shouldn’t be robbing Peter to pay for Paul.”

Wozniak particularly singled out the expenditures for festivals in Anderson’s proposal. “I think in these times we can’t spend $10,000 on festivals,” he said.

Councilmember Kriss Worthington strongly supported Anderson’s proposal. “The City of Berkeley has many, many events. But there is only one city event that is aimed at the Latino community. Similarly there is only one LGBT event that the city funds,” he said. “They are little events compared to July 4th or Solano Stroll. Eliminating these events is disrespectful to these communities.”

“As to where this money is coming from, it’s $105,000 out of $4.7 million,” Worthington said. “We are increasing the money by hundreds of thousands of dollars for paving. And no one on City Council says we shouldn’t increase the money for paving. Where is it written in stone that we have to increase paving by this number of dollars?”

Councilmember Darryl Moore said that at a recent community meeting he had held in San Pablo Park, “the number one issue was when are you going to repair streets. So I’m concerned about reducing any funds going to street maintenance.” He said, however, that he favored supporting Cinco de Mayo and Stonewall festivals.

Moore was a particular focus at the meeting, because he had to leave at 9 p.m. to catch the red eye to Washington for his White House meeting to celebrate Pride Month. As Mayor Bates hurried the meeting along to accommodate Moore, Worthington said it was unfortunate to limit time when it was “the most important council decision of the year”.

“We’re tens if not hundreds of millions behind on our infrastructure maintenance,” said councilmember Laurie Capitelli. “Try to get across Milvia in a wheelchair or ride a bicycle on Milvia. When you pave a street it costs x. When you wait a few years and try to repave it, it costs 3x. I will not support cutting the infrastructure budget.”

Arreguín pointed out that many agencies “have threadbare budgets”, and said that taking some of the $105,000 out of the paving budget or some of the YEAH money “is a reasonable proposal”. “The budget is a reflection of our priorities as a community,” he said. “While this budget increases spending on infrastructure more than in recent years, our budget should assist the poor, the disabled,

the youth.”

Arreguín said, “I think we’re close [to agreement]. I hope we can see what can be done to bridge the gap.”

Anderson picked up Arreguín’s point about the budget reflecting the community and lamented that the budget had become “blood sport” and a matter of political power battles. “You don’t have to scorch the earth with people, Mr. Mayor,” he said. “How could you possibly be opposed to taking one-thirty-sixth thousandth from the paving budget?”

Bates and Worthington became involved in a heated dispute over whether the public had been given a right to a fair hearing at the meeting. Worthington claimed that there were people who had been denied the right to speak, adding that it could result in a lawsuit invalidating the budget. Banging his gavel, mayor Bates said, “That is absolutely false.” The city attorney, asked for an opinion at the meeting, said that the public comment part of the meeting had been properly conducted.

When votes were taken, Anderson’s proposal failed, and the Maio/Bates proposal passed, with additional sums of $4,000 allocated to the Cinco de Mayo festival and $5,000 to the Stonewall festival, using some of the money from the YEAH funds. The council also agreed to return to further funding for homeless programs, using the remainder of the YEAH funds.