Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Editorials

Budgets sailed through --or they should have

Silicon Valley is on a roll, and communities like Los Gatos are enjoying modest prosperity thanks to increased income from building fees and permits, sales- tax revenue and hotel taxes.

Unlike last year's acrimonious budget sessions in Los Gatos, which resulted in cutbacks in personnel and library hours, this year's sessions went nearly unnoticed.

The ranger position cut last year had already been restored before the session even started, and the library was once again open on Fridays. What's more, the town's streets are being repaired.

In neighboring Monte Sereno, even without sales tax or hotel revenues to pump up the coffers, all is well. The city's $1.3 million budget contains no cuts and no fee increases. The city's reserve balance is expected to grow by $119,710.

So it's curious that councilmembers Joel Gambord and Gordon Knight voted not to approve it.

Their reason? The majority of the council did not agree with Gambord's last-minute budget proposal to fire City Manager Gay Strand and combine her job with that of the current city planner.

What's even more curious is that Gambord's proposal to fire the city manager as a cost- cutting measure follows quickly on the heels of her annual review.

Although personnel matters are discussed behind closed doors, Mayor Jack Lucas says it was a favorable review.

So it's difficult to understand what that grandstand play was all about.

Unless the idea is to make the job of managing Monte Sereno so undesirable that the next time the position is open, no one will apply.

Then Gambord and Knight and the Citizens FOR Monte Sereno will get the "less government" they want so badly.

Time's running out

The Los Gatos Planning Department has known for a long time that it faced an August deadline to decide where to put a natural-gas filling station. Now that we're down to the wire and face losing two grants if the decision isn't made quickly, the staff appears to have put the proposal on the fast track.

Unfortunately, many neighbors who attended last week's planning session walked away with the impression that the staff gave the Planning Commission the bum's rush.

The fact that the commission cited lack of time and information to make a decision adds weight to the criticism.

If the town appeals to the Town Council, that body will also find a deadline breathing down its neck.

Deciding where to put a natural-gas filling station is too important--and too controversial-- to have waited till the last minute.

It would be a shame to lose the grant money, but the deadline should not pressure the council into making a decision without all the facts.

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