Bellflower to Issue 'Notices of Possible Closure' at Public Facilities, Considers Staff Cuts to Compensate for Loss of Vehicle License Fee.

News Editors/Business Editors/City Desks

BELLFLOWER, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 10, 2003

City of Bellflower:

-- Loss of $5.8 million also forces cancellation or downsizing of

various community events, after-school programs and public

services

-- Delegation of 10 employees -- union reps, Council members and

public safety officers -- will travel to Sacramento today to

plead with lawmakers to save local funding

The City of Bellflower, L.A. County's 25th largest municipality, today announced plans to eliminate various community events and issue 'notices of possible closure' at designated City facilities. The move, triggered by the loss of nearly $3.3 million annually in Vehicle License Fees (VLF) over the next two years, will be implemented immediately pending any new State budget decision.

Crucial to Bellflower's operations, the VLF represents nearly 20% of the City's general fund. City leaders project that the loss of the VLF with no back-fill will severely limit Bellflower's ability to provide anything beyond the most core services such as public safety.

As a result, public facilities such as the Aquatic Center, Teen Center, senior center, park buildings and history museum will be subject to closure. In addition, Bellflower has cancelled several previously scheduled events, including the popular "Snow to Bellflower" holiday celebration and youth sports leagues. The City's 10th annual BRAVO Awards to honor valor and heroism will be downsized to rely solely on sponsorship funding.

"The State's takeaway will cost our community $260,000 per month," said Mayor Scott Larsen. "We have worked hard to build cost-effective programs for a healthy community, but because of the State's unwillingness to back-fill our revenues, substantial cuts are unavoidable."

To address the cuts, a delegation of 10 City of Bellflower employees will travel to Sacramento on December 10 to meet with legislators and seek an explanation about the pending cuts that could cost them their programs and jobs.

"Usually, members of the City Council and senior management meet with legislators," said Michael Egan, City Administrator. "But given the enormous stakes involved, we wanted the employees to be able to look their State elected representatives in the eyes and ask why their programs and possibly their jobs could be cut."

Operating with one of the smallest staffs of similar-sized cities in California, Bellflower employs 86 full-time and 171 part-time workers to serve 76,400 residents and 3,000 businesses.