Originally posted at The Liberal OC.
By Dan Chmielewski.

The Santa Ana City Council has called for a resolution that would extend the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to, “all immigrant families not engaged in criminal activity.” A vote on the actual resolution, that will be drafted by the city attorney, will come at a later council meeting.

The all-Latino council one-upped their neighbors in Anaheim who voted 4-1 on party lines to reject a move that was similar but instead would call on the President to halt deportations on his own.

Santa Ana also had more good news when it comes to the books.  Just a few years ago, the city was on the verge of bankruptcy.  Now, according to this Voice of OC story, the city’s accounts are well in the black.

From the story:  “…city officials are now projecting a $2.6-million surplus by next fiscal year and a $41.7-million generalfund reserve the year after that.       

It is a startling turnaround for a city that projected a $30-million budget deficit in fiscal year 2012-13 and faced the prospect of municipal bankruptcy. The general reserve had at one point in 2011 dwindled to $3 million or just one week’spayroll, according to city officials.

…

The updated forecast includes an increase in annual growth from 2 percent to 3 percent, mainly due to better-than-expected revenues from sales and property taxes. Downtown sales tax revenue is up 7.9 percent, and new auto sales taxfigures have increased by 74.7 percent since 2011, according to city figures.

The picture has brightened considerably in recent months, with every major revenue category coming in higher than expected during the second half of 2013, according to an information packet provided by the city. And indicators point to continued improvement in Santa Ana’s economy, said Cavazos and other officials.

On the cost side, Cavazos is planning for a 1-percent or $1.4-million savings from an innovation and efficiency program whereby the city manager asks managers to devise ways of doing the same work for 99 cents on every dollar.

But even with the optimistic projections, Cavazos said hisforecast is conservative and rooted in part in the fact that city’s annual pension costs currently are lower than expected.

The general fund reserve level is projected to be at 20 percent of the total budget by fiscal year 2015-16. That reserve level, which city leaders made policy amid the budget crisis, is “among the highest in the country,” Cavazos said. Cities’ reserve levels are typically around 10 percent of the total budget.”

Now, it appears the only thing Santa Ana has to worry about politically is a possible investigation of Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido.