Calabasas monitors its financial affairs––which is more than you can say for Sacramento

Calabasas monitors its financial affairs––which is more than you can say for Sacramento

Depending on your source in Calabasas, the city is either short $3 million or it isn’t.

One person will tell you the money has already been spent on council-approved budget items; somebody else will say the cash has only been transferred to other accounts and isn’t really missing; and a third source will say the money is totally unaccounted for.

By the time you read this, the city staff may have already solved the mystery. Or maybe not.

Stay tuned.

But in any case, it’s healthy to see elected officials show genuine interest in financial affairs. Calabasas taxpayers can be confident that their councilmembers are paying attention to the city’s cash flow.

It’s good when someone is watching for balanced books and is verifying that proper procedures are being followed.

Cities, like all levels of government, are in the business of collecting and spending money. It’s wise to ask questions if something seems out of place or if money is suddenly missing for no reason.

Sometimes, though, elected officials can go too far. We’ve seen some councilmembers who’ve treated a city budget like it was their personal savings account.

A healthy reserve, of course, is always a good idea; cities should save for a rainy day, just like families.

But tax money is also meant to be spent for the good of the people. If a surplus gets too large, that money should be refunded to the taxpayers.

It shouldn’t be squandered on a spending spree.

For an all-time bad example of government and financial mismanagement, take a look at Sacramento.

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