Politics & Government

Cuts Force Loma Linda to Shutter Part of City Hall

Two full-time staffers will be cut and the city hall's east wing will be closed in response to the loss of redevelopment funds.

After the last round of layoffs in Loma Linda, City Manager T. Jarb Thaipejr thought the worst was over.

“I thought 'I’m cruising now.' But then the Supreme Court made its ruling,” he said.

A December decision by the California Supreme Court ruled the state has a right to seize billions in redevelopment agency funds essentially dissolving agencies across the state.

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Loma Linda has lost $7.5 million, once under the control of the city’s Redevelopment Agency. It has forced Thaipejr to make deep cuts in order to balance the budget.

He recently announced Loma Linda would be forced to close the east wing of City Hall and let go a front office receptionist and a staffer with administrative duties who also helped manage the Loma Linda Senior Center.

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“That leaves only two full-time staffers in the area, myself and a (human resources) staffer,” he said. “We will move back to the other side. By doing so we will also save electricity, the cost of using the air conditioning unit, the heating unit, the copy machine, janitorial services.”

Four other unfilled positions were cut, Thaipejr said. And the city will cut the cost of law-enforcement by sharing a deputy with Grand Terrace. San Bernardino County Sheriff’s provides police services to both.

Every bit of saving counts given the challenges ahead, he said.

The revenue loss is massive for such a small city, Thaipejr said. It means Loma Linda will need to cut $1.28 million in expenditures over 15 and a half months. Five and a half months remain in this fiscal year.

Thaipejr said the cuts will save the city $678,000. But another $100,000 in cuts still need to be made. An estimated $300,000 will need to be cut for the 2012-13 fiscal year.

Thaipejr could not say how much of the city's remaining services would be affected. Several programs have taken a hit, such as the Community Gardens, which will no longer supply seeds.

“I’m doing my best with what we have,” Thaipejr said. “But I’m not going to add any more services.”


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