Councilmember Tammy Kim Attempts to Block Surplus Funds Being Used to Support School & Family Programs

City Councilmember Tammy Kim

The race for Irvine Mayor in the upcoming November election spilled onto the City Council dais last week when Councilmember and mayoral candidate Tammy Kim did an about-face on the City’s budget surplus while attacking her opponent in the mayoral race, Vice Mayor Larry Agran on the issue.
 
At the Council’s June 11th meeting, Agran noted that the City’s Contingency Fund — built from budget surpluses of nearly $70 million — was very high and proposed that a small portion of those funds, about $6 million, could be redirected to expand some popular City programs that help Irvine schools and families. Those programs include: additional school resource officers and school nurses; an expansion of the successful school bus program that was launched last year for University High students living in Quail Hill; support for child care and after-school programs; and a raise for City workers making less than $20 per hour. At the June meeting Kim said, “These are fine — these are all wonderful things to look at,” and suggested that the Finance Commission review Agran’s proposal and make a recommendation to the Council. Agran agreed that would be appropriate, and his motion to that effect was passed unanimously by the Council.
 
However, at the July 9th meeting Kim reversed her support, characterized Agran’s proposal in apocalyptic terms as irresponsible, and insisted that the Council vote to keep the Contingency Fund unchanged. In a memo to the Councilmembers in advance of the meeting, Kim wrote, “We should not be tapping into our reserve savings account to finance a politically motivated list of pet projects.”
 
Agran took exception to that characterization, insisting they were not pet projects, saying: “These are ongoing City programs of proven effectiveness, and we need to buttress those programs to help our Irvine schools and families.” In response to questions from Councilmembers, the City staff reported that state guidelines suggest that cities maintain a reserve level of about 17% of their operating budgets, which is what similarly-sized Santa Ana and Anaheim both maintain. Agran’s proposal would leave Irvine with an impressive 21% reserve level.
 
A long and contentious discussion ensued, involving convoluted parliamentary maneuvers and arcane legal interpretations from City Attorney Jeff Melching.

Finally, an exasperated Councilmember Mike Carroll criticized Kim for staging a political stunt that he called “a complete burn of an hour and a half of my life.”
 
The Council then voted 3-2 against Kim’s motion to kill Agran’s proposal. (Councilmember Kathleen Treseder supported Kim’s motion.)

By another 3-2 vote, the Council then passed a motion by Agran to immediately expand the Quail Hill school bus program to two buses to accommodate a large waiting list, and to increase funding for the Irvine Children’s Fund, a nonprofit that provides support for child care expenses for the City’s economically stressed families. (Kim and Treseder both voted NO.)
 
The question of an appropriate reserve level and what to do with any funds that may be released will still go to the Finance Commission for review. Its recommendations are expected to come back to the Council in September.