Santa Monica - Above the Norm

By Lookout Staff

It's been suspected that Santa Monica is not average.

And Tuesday night, Michael Dennis, head of the city's finance department assured the council of that fact.

In round one of the city's annual budget study session, Dennis told the council that the city is performing above the national, state and regional average. Along with that bit of good news, Dennis cautioned that the city's economic boom is expected to slow toward the end of the year with the deregulation of the utility industry, the tax-free growth of e-commerce and increased interest rates.

Along with the city's financial forecast, heads of city's capital improvements program, city clerk's office (newly renamed the Records and Election Services Department), finance department, city attorney's office, personnel department, library and fire departments, stepped up to the podium, detailing their achievements, goals and budgetary wish lists for the 2000-2001 fiscal year, as council members munched on Caesar salad, vegetarian lasagna and fresh melon.

The budget study sessions give council members the chance to ask questions of the various departments and serves as a report card for the city before the council adopts the final budget in June.