BUDGET REVISIONS COSTLY FOR A.V.

Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer

LANCASTER - With California's energy crisis draining millions of dollars from the state treasury, the governor's revised budget plan cuts more than $1 million earmarked for the Antelope Valley.

The revised budget cut $250 million in discretionary funds for city and county governments, costing Lancaster $486,000; Palmdale, nearly $450,000; and California City, $40,000.

The budget also cut funding for a program aimed at helping law enforcement agencies update their technology. The cut cost local cities about $140,000 each.

``I was assuming the state would rip off the local taxpayers and keep the money - and they did,'' said Gary Hill, Lancaster's finance director.

In unveiling his revised budget, Gov. Gray Davis said there simply wasn't enough money to meet every legitimate need. However, there also is the possibility that the budget projections could be too dire and that money might be restored later.

Palmdale and Lancaster took the state discretionary funding dollars out of their budget plans several weeks ago in anticipation of the governor's cut.

Later this month, the cities will unveil their budgets for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. Despite the energy cuts, officials from both cities say they expect to present fairly strong financial plans.

The cities are both budgeting additional money to pay rising electric bills.

Lancaster has set aside about $300,000 to cover rising energy costs. The city is also planning to take another $300,000 out of its road maintenance fund to cover increases to the street lighting district it oversees, allowing the city to maintain assessments to property owners at this year's rate of $45.

Palmdale, which spent about $662,000 on lights over the past year, will budget an additional 30 percent to cover costs.

Los Angeles County Public Works, which oversees street lighting for the city of Palmdale, is asking property owners for a rate hike from $50 a year per home to $77. The fee increase will raise an additional $773,000, which county officials said is needed to offset rising electric fees from Southern California Edison.