LAKEPORT – New City Manager Jerry Gillham is getting ready to embark on his first budget for the City of Lakeport.

He told City Council members Tuesday evening that the 2006-07 budget will be closed June 18, and that he could have a draft 2007-08 budget to them a week later.

"You're going to be faced with some very critical choices," Gillham said.

Asked to elaborate on that following the meeting, Gillham said the City Council has to decide how to fund important services such as police, roads, maintenance and parks on a modest budget.

He estimated that the 2007-08 budget will be about $18 million, compared to this fiscal year's $17.4 million budget.

Gillham said he expects to have a draft budget ready by June 25, because he's aiming to have the budget ready by the start of the new fiscal year. A council workshop is tentatively scheduled for later that week.

On May 1, the council officially hired Gillham as city manager, so he hasn't had much time to get up to speed before having to dive into the budget.

"This is kind of guerilla budgeting this year," he said.

The council and staff gave Gillham a hard time for his hope of getting a budget completed close to the start of the fiscal year on July 1.

City Attorney Steve Brookes told him he'd likely make history, since they don't often have all the information they need in time to get a budget completed by the fiscal year's beginning

"It's going to be a very conservative budget," said Gillham, adding that it's also going to be developed with more of a team effort from city department heads and staff.

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