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Government budget woes? Not in Oak Park Government budget woes? Not in Oak Park By Daniel Wolowicz Officials say Oak Park’s 2006 proposed budget appears healthy—for now. Steve Williams, the Ventura County manager of real estate services division, presented a budget proposal for the unincorporated community to the Oak Park governing board last week. Officials estimate total expenses within the county’s Service Area 4, which covers Oak Park, at approximately $650,000. With tax revenue of $488,900 and an estimated $169,400 in carry-over funds from last year, the budget is nearly $100,000 in the black, Williams said. Williams said the budget covers such services such as landscaping, street sweeping, utilities and community support services. Officials said the extensive number of "urban services" provided by the county makes the Oak Park service area unique within Ventura County. Of the five service areas within Ventura County, Oak Park receives the largest percentage of money from the county’s property tax revenue. Oak Park gets about 2.5 percent of the county’s $19.5 million in property tax revenue. Utilities are the most expensive group of services at $287,400 a year. Landscape maintenance, which includes tree trimming, is the most expensive line item at $135,000 a year. County officials also said the $67,000 used to pay for eight crossing guards is the most spent by a single area within the county. The funds help take some financial burden off the already stressed budget of Oak Park’s school district. Oak Park schools receive nearly $8 million in property tax revenue from Ventura County, more than any other organization. |
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