The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Torrance, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne, Lawndale, & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 107, No. 30 - July 26, 2018
Inside
This Issue
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.....................14
Community Briefs............3,4
Classifieds............................4
Crossword/Sudoku.............4
Entertainment....................13
Food.......................................5
Legals............................ 12,15
Police Briefs........................5
Real Estate.....................7-11
Sports....................................6
Weekend
Forecast
Friday
Sunny
78˚/70˚
Saturday
Sunny
81˚/69˚
Sunday
Partly
Cloudy
80˚/69˚
Cub Scouts Go the Extra Miles
Since den leader Gabe Martinez started tracking hiking mileage for Pack 968 in the winter of 2014, 41 scouts have participated in at least one hike. The combined total for the pack so far is 1,065 miles.
Pictured are parents and scouts from first through fifth grade during a 5-mile hike in Point Mugu State Park. Photo Provided by Jennifer Sorbello.
City Council Gets Good Budget
News for Now, But Trouble Ahead
By Brian Simon
During a budget study workshop last week,
the El Segundo City Council received some
very good financial news – at least for the
short term. Preliminary numbers point to a
hefty general fund surplus for 2018/19. But the
current sunny conditions may turn to stormy
weather in a few short years, with a projected
structural deficit of $2.6 million by the time
2023/24 rolls around.
Even with the decision to increase general
fund balance reserves from 18 percent to 19
percent (more on this later) of expenditures,
the Council will still have an extra $6.8 million
to play with in 2018/19. City Manager Greg
Carpenter called the present fiscal situation as
positive as he has seen during his tenure. Two
key reasons for the windfall: a major uptick in
transient occupancy tax (TOT) revenue thanks
to the arrival of several new hotels in town (and
along with those, higher room rates), plus a
jump in property tax dollars collected due to an
unusual amount of new construction as well as
property turnover both in the residential and
commercial sectors -- resulting in healthy reassessments
Campaign to Simplify Voting is
Going Strong in the South Bay
By Rob McCarthy
If voting is such a privilege, why did
so many registered residents skip the June
primary? The absentee rate hovered near 75
percent in some South Bay communities.
El Segundo had a modest turnout -- 39
percent -- for a primary election with no
local school bond issues to decide. Still, 61
percent of El Segundo citizens who were
eligible to cast ballots remained silent about
the finalists in the fall for Governor, the State
Assembly and Senate, and the Congress.
In Inglewood, Hawthorne and Lawndale,
citizens had school bond measures to decide
that affect homeowners’ tax bills and the quality
of public education. The turnout in those
communities was 25 percent or less, despite
the kind of pocketbook issues that drive
interest and participation on Election Day.
So, why did so many people forgo their
right to weigh in on these important questions?
Knowing that property values are connected
to school test scores, Hawthorne residents
had money riding on the outcome on June
5. So did voters in Lawndale, where 42 took
the time to vote. Inglewood decided a city
charter amendment about local elections.
Los Angeles’ County officials have studied
voter turnout for almost a decade and
think they understand why the majority of
eligible voters aren’t engaged in summer
primaries or fall general elections. The
time to vote is short, polling places are
See Voting, page 4
at today’s values. According to Finance
Director Joe Lillio, TOT has now taken over as
the City’s number one revenue source. Looking
at expenditures, a spate of personnel vacancies
will translate to giant savings for the City. As of
now, 34 full-time spots remain unfilled through
all departments, with police the highest of
those at eight positions short. The fiscal impact
of the 34 vacancies is $5.4 million annually.
The Council did not yet decide how to spend
the extra monies, but ideas mentioned included
capital improvements, department requests,
employee engagement, paying into the Section
115 pension trust, and paying down the
City’s unfunded pension liability. Public Works
will recommend about $3 million for capital
projects, with priorities ranked by the Capital
Improvement Program Advisory Committee.
The City funded $1 million in a Section 115
trust last year as a way to potentially earn a
higher rate of return on monies set aside for
future pension obligations. Lillio termed it
“ideal” to allocate the same amount again and
to continue to do so annually. The City also
kicked in an additional $2.1 million towards
its unfunded pension liability (down to about
$129 million from $134 million) last year,
which helps avoid negative amortization and
decreases total interest payments over time.
Meanwhile, staff recommended budgeting
$200,000 for a new employee engagement
program (i.e. personnel appreciation/recognition,
wellness, management/supervisory development).
The Council also heard from several
department heads on special requests (the rest,
including the public safety chiefs, will run
down their wish lists at an Aug. 13 meeting)
that would cost just under $1 million combined.
In order to determine how much additional
monies will be available, Carpenter asked the
Council to decide on the general fund reserve
amount. Policy sets reserves at 20 percent (this
doesn’t include $2 million in the economic
uncertainty fund), but prior councils agreed
to lower that number to 17 percent during
lean times. It has slowly edged back up as
See City Council, page 14