At the City Council meeting on the evening of Monday, June 27, the Council approved a budget for the financial year 2022/23. Public Hearing item 1 read, “Adoption of a City Council resolution approving and adopting the annual appropriations limit for fiscal year (fy) 2022/2023, adoption of respective resolutions adopting the fy 2022/2023budget for the city of Culver City, the successor agency to the Culver City redevelopment agency, the Culver City housing authority, and the Culver City parking authority; and 3) adoption of a resolution approving salary schedules for miscellaneous employees, police safety employees and fire safety employees effective July 1, 2022.” In a presentation, city staff proposed an increase in the General Fund from $144,878,638 to $145,890,399 (a difference of $1,011,761). The total budget will increase from $279,050,497 to $292,320,768 (a $13,270,271 difference). A few public speakers stood up to speak on the budget. One woman said that, in the wake of this week’s Supreme Court decision, she’s now “half a person” so she wants to make sure that she’s afforded all of the police protection that the Culver City Police Department can provide. The City Manager has suggested a budget of $50,954,116. However another speaker said that the Council is putting money into the wrong places, citing “the biggest police budget the city has had,” over homelessness resources. Council Member YasmineImani McMorrin said that she had major concerns about the lack of care and housing in the budget. Council Member Göran Eriksson said that the budget is a package. “We all put forward our thoughts and ideas and the City Manager has done a reasonable job allocating money,” Eriksson said. “I will vote yes.” Mayor Daniel Lee acknowledged that a lot of hands are tied when allocating funds, but agreed with McMorrin in that “a lot of talk needs to go into care and housing.”
