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# City council to adopt budget tonight
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/city-council-to-adopt-budget-tonight/
- Published: 2002-06-18T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T00:20:40.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Government & Politics, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By Daily Press staff*

Under increasingly difficult economic times, the city council may adopt one of the leanest budgets in years.

At its meeting tonight, city council members will be asked to adopt next year’s $387.3 million budget, which contains more than $20 million in deferred capital improvements and at least a 2.5 percent reduction in spending across every city department.

The city had to undergo some serious belt-tightening to make up for a nearly $9 million loss in tax revenue, mainly from a drop-off in retail sales and a low hotel occupancy rate.

Santa Monica officials also are preparing for a reduction in state funding when California adjusts its budget next November.

Most of the city’s reductions have been chosen to minimize the effects felt by residents. But some services, such as the Santa Monica Police Department’s mounted patrol, may be discontinued all-together.

The city council also is expected to dole out $1.7 million in discretionary funding at its disposal, which many groups throughout the city are competing for this year.

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has asked the city for $5 million in aid — which is $2 million more than what it receives from the city annually. Due to a considerable drop-off in state funding, the school district is facing serious budget cuts of its own.

The Santa Monica Playhouse also is trying to raise $500,000 to buy its downtown theater, and it has asked the city council for at least $75,000 in assistance. If the theater can’t raise the necessary amount of money by the end of the year, theater officials say the group will have to leave the city.

The council meeting will be held in council chambers at City Hall at 5:45 p.m.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 18, 2002.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/061802.pdf?ref=smdp.com)