YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ward Winning News al A pa
Vol. 9, No. 3
Antioch, California
www.antiochpress.com
City cuts Inspirational impact budget to avoid bankruptcy
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January 16, 2009
THIS WEEK
Lightning on the draw
by Dave Roberts Staff Writer City officials agreed Tuesday night to implement $4.4 million in savings to avoid potential bankruptcy next year, but more cuts might be needed, including employee layoffs. The cost-cutting measures have been agreed to only verbally so far. The council will need to take formal action at an upcoming meeting to implement them. If no cuts are made, the city would face an $8.5 million shortfall in the 2009-10 budget, which takes effect in July, according to a city staff report. That 22-percent deficit would prevent the city from paying all its bills, setting up a potential bankruptcy. With the savings discussed Tuesday night, which are a combination of account transfers and cuts, the city is expected to maintain a miniscule 1.6-percent reserve fund at the end of the 2009-10 budget year. City policy man-
Lynn House Gallery is featuring the work of four local artists, and reports of the exhibit’s success are anything but sketchy.
Page 14A Photo by Richard Wisdom
ayne Steffen, who spearheaded the renovation of City Park, will be awarded Citizen of the Year for Most Impact in 2008 by the Antioch Chamber of Commerce at the chamber’s Inaugural Gala on Jan. 23 at Lone Tree Golf & Event Center. Other awards to be conferred are Citizen of the Year – Lifetime Achievement; Youth of the Year; and Business of the Year. For more information, call 925-757-1800 or visit www.antiochchamber.com.
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dates at least a 10-to-15-percent reserve. As a result, if the economy doesn’t pick up in the coming year or the city doesn’t receive some form of bailout or additional revenue, more cuts will likely be needed, including possible layoffs, according to Assistant City Manager Arlene Mornick.
“Seventy percent of our expenditures are personnel,” she said. “So, yeah, once you cut bare bones on services and supplies, the only other place to cut is personnel or benefits to personnel. The council made clear they want see Budget page 21A
Brains before beauty This photogenic female wouldn’t have made the grade without lots of grade-A gray matter.
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Sisterhood of swing
Tracy cop picked for school board seat by Dave Roberts Staff Writer Over the course of 3½ hours on Jan. 8, the Antioch Unified School District Board interviewed candidates to serve out the remaining two years of the term of the late Joyce Seelinger, and all of the candidates assured the board that they would put in the time, work and dedication needed to do the job right. But none of the eight candidates had even bothered to show up at the previous night’s board meeting to see the board in action and find out the latest news on the district, according to board member Claire Smith. “I was disappointed that none of you guys showed up,” Smith told the remaining candidates just before the board unanimously voted to appoint Tracy police lieutenant Wade Harper to the vacant position. “I hope that when we make this choice
Photo by Dave Roberts
Following his appointment to the Antioch Unified School District Board, Wade Harper receives the congratulations of board members Teri Lynn Shaw, left, and Claire Smith. you will make me happy and not sad that you haven’t come to the board meetings. “I appreciate, Wade, that you did some homework. I know you have done some research online. I’m very impressed with
your speaking ability. All of the candidates did a super job (in the interviews).” Harper is a seven-year Antioch resident with two children in Antioch schools, one at Deer Valley High and the other at Dal-
las Ranch Middle School, and his wife works as a special-needs assistant for the district. Harper has been in law enforcement for 20 years, has been a speaker for the DARE anti-drug program in Tracy schools and started the DARE program in the Emery Unified School District. “I’m proud of the school district,” Harper told the board in his opening statement. “I’ve met people with competence and character. I bring my leadership, love for people and experience in strategic planning. I’m collaborative, calm and easygoing.” In response to the question of why he wants to be a school board member and what are his goals, Harper said, “Excellence in the classroom starts with excellence in the board room. I can bring excellence, equity and accountability. I love this city and school district. My children are see Board page 21A
When these Wolverines prowl the fairways, the competition turns green with envy.
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INSIDE Arts...................................14A Calendar ..........................19B Classifieds ........................15B Coplog .............................17A Education ..........................7A Entertainment ................18B Health & Beauty ............... 8B Milestones ......................... 7B Opinion ...........................16A Sports ................................. 1B
FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A