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# Santa Monica finds $5.5 million windfall as council prepares mid-year budget
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/013106-story-20060131/
- Published: 2006-01-31T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T17:06:30.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Government & Politics, Santa Monica, #archive-import

An emboldened tourism industry, surging real estate sales and some unexpected money courtesy of the state have pumped an additional $5.5 million into the city coffers, leaving council members with more money to spend when they approve the mid-year budget next month. While some of the cash is already accounted for — to cover increased costs for employee salaries — roughly $2.5 million will be left up to the discretion of the council, which will debate the issue at a meeting scheduled for Feb. 14.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 31, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/013106.pdf?ref=smdp.com)