Brentwood Press - Index

Brentwood Press - AntiochPress_05.02.08 - Index

There’s good and bad news
as city offi cials begin looking at
the budget for the fi scal year beginning
in July.
The bad news is that the
economic slowdown has reduced
property and sales taxes coming
into the city, leading to a continuation
of defi cit spending in the
budget for the next two years. As
a result, the reserve fund is projected
to drop below the minimum
that city offi cials would like
in the 2009-10 fi scal year.
The good news is that when
the money was fl owing in during
the good economic times a year
or two ago, city offi cials were able
to get the reserve fund above 20
percent, providing a nest egg for
these economically rainy days.
The other good news for city
YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 8, No.18 Antioch, California www.thepress.net May 2, 2008
Economic slump
trims reserves
Layoffs might
be avoided in
new budget
by Dave Roberts
Staff Writer
workers is that there is currently
no plan to lay off anyone. However,
City Council members at
a budget workshop on Tuesday
said they want to take a close
look at what employees are doing
to justify their salaries, especially
those with reduced workloads,
such as building inspectors.
“The City Council is not interested
in laying off any person,”
said Mayor Don Freitas, adding
that “if we are going to retain all
personnel and there are areas in
the budget where there are decreases
in activity, how are we going
to use those employees? I’m
looking for accountability. I will
not approve this budget unless we
have those plans. I want it in writing.
I want time lines. I want to
know how it’s going to be done.”
The current budget projections
are based on 11 positions in
the police department not being
fi lled in the next two years, thereby
saving the city about $1.5 million
each year. Historically there
see Reserves page 29A
Digging Arbor Day
Photo by Dave Roberts
Members of Cub Scout Pack 247 help plant a
pair of trees in Chichibu Park Friday during
the Antioch Riverview Garden Club’s Arbor
Day Celebration. See the story and more photos on
page 4A.
Homeless man gets help to return home
by Dave Roberts
Staff Writer
The fi rst time Antioch Police Offi cer Cliff Rezentes
saw Tom Herrington, he was standing near the Highway
4 off ramp at Auto Center Drive holding up a sign that
read “HOMELESS HUNGRY PLEASE HELP GOD
BLESS.”
“I hadn’t seen Tommy before, so I pretty much told
him you can’t do that, asked him where he was from and
how long, probably wrote him a ticket and told him never
to do that again,” said Rezentes.
When Herrington saw Offi cer Rezentes headed his
way, he thought, “‘Oh no, not good.’ At the time I had
eaten some stuff out of a dumpster, I was kind of sick
from the day before and was trying to get some money
for some food.”
That was in November. Over the next fi ve months,
Rezentes would write Herrington seven or eight more citations
for panhandling.
Herrington arrived in Pittsburg in November from
Photo by Dave Roberts
Antioch Community Action Team Offi cer Cliff Rezentes has helped Tom
Houston, Texas, staying with a friend and working a con-
Herrington, a homeless man who has been living in the Antioch area
struction job in Antioch. But when his car broke down
since November, get a bus ticket to return to his family in Houston,
Texas. see Homeless page 29A
National Award Winning Newspapers
THIS WEEK
Scout men
walk the talk
Some important acreage
needed a facelift, and instead
of barking out orders to their
troops, Scout leaders did the
grunt work themselves.
Page 26A
Tattlin’ on
the rattlin’
With malice toward none,
venom for all, this critter deserves
your undivided attention
out on the trail.
Page 22A
Wolverines
get revenge
Hot bats and coast-to-coast
pitching earned Deer Valley a
grudge-match victory against
Antioch High.
Page 1B
INSIDE
Calendar ........................31B
Classifieds ......................21B
Community .................... 3A
Education ....................... 8A
Entertainment ..............17B
Food ..............................16B
Health & Beauty ...........11B
Milestones .....................29B
Opinion ........................20A
Public Notices ................24B
Recreation ....................22A