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Residents rally against budget cuts outside Paso Robles City Council meeting 

 

About 50 people demonstrated along Spring Street Tuesday night to show support for the city’s library and recreation department.

Paso Robles City Council dealt with two big issues at its Tuesday night meeting – COVID-19 and the city’s budget.

Paso Robles Fire Department Chief Jonathon Stornetta reported on the county’s reduction in COVID-19 cases and moving from the State’s purple tier to the red tier. Councilman John Hamon said he thinks it’s unattainable. Hamon asked the city manager if the city can push back against the state’s regulations, and what could happen if the city were to do so. City Manager Tom Frutchey said other cities and counties feel the same way, and he’ll keep Paso Robles City Council informed about the state response to push back and non-compliance from other municipalities.

The other issue before Paso Robles City Council last night was the city budget. About 50 people demonstrated along Spring Street last night to show support for the city’s recreation department and library. They held signs and chanted “Save our Library” and “Save our Rec Department.” Inside the Library Conference Room, the council discussed cuts to the budget during their virtual meeting.

Councilman Fred Strong argued that the county needs to give the city a greater share of property taxes. Mayor Steve Martin asked the city manager how things look for the next fiscal year. City Manager Tom Frutchey said it depends partly on the passage of Measure J-20, the proposed 1-percent sales tax in Paso Robles. Voters will decide that issue in the November General Election.

Ultimately, Councilman Steve Gregory made the motion to ask City Manager Tom Frutchey to meet with department heads to discuss potential cuts and the council will revisit proposed budget cuts in January. The motion passed 3-2, with Mayor Steve Martin and Councilman Fred Strong casting the dissenting votes.

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The news staff of the Paso Robles Daily News wrote or edited this story from local contributors and press releases. The news staff can be reached at info@pasoroblesdailynews.com.