Sonora City Council Will Tackle $132K Budget Shortfall

Sonora, CA — The Sonora City Council will take up the fiscal year 2009/10 budget Monday evening.

Currently the city is facing a $132,000 shortfall. Sonora Finance Director Karen Stark says the city was initially facing a projected shortfall between $350,000-$500,000, but it was reduced to $222,300 during a June 1st budget session.

Since that the time the city has found additional cuts and narrowed it down to $132,000. To increase revenue, the city will freeze a number of currently unfilled positions. Employees have also postponed a three percent cost of living pay increase.

City officials are hoping that projects like Lowe’s and the Walmart expansion will come to fruition sometime during the next fiscal year and help the bottom line.

Monday’s meeting will begin at 5pm in the Council Chambers.

Written by bjhansen@mlode.com.