Artesia City Council Declares Financial Emergency

By Jerry Bernstein

The Artesia City Council unanimously approved a resolution declaring the city is in a fiscal emergency at its June 11 meeting. City officials said historically the city has operated with fiscal prudence and caution without having to dip into the General Fund reserves. However the state takeaways in the last few years, including the state’s elimination of redevelopment agencies, has resulted in a significant decline in city revenues.
The resolution was approved in order to make the public aware of the fiscal emergency as the city continues budget discussions and deliberations.
Deputy City Manager and Finance Officer Justine Menzal said in approving the resolution, the council noted the state has taken more than $1.5 million from the city in order to reduce the state’s budget. This means approximately $1 million in annual future revenues the city has relied upon to fund various projects has been eliminated, putting into jeopardy projects that have been partially completed and which may require city funds to complete.
Menzal said the city’s general fund reserves, which are intended to protect the city in the event of a catastrophe and to provide the city with needed funds to handle unanticipated calamities, has declined by over $1 million in the last few years to approximately $2.7 million. The council noted this was not sufficient to absorb the cost of services and projects that was previously funded from other sources.
She said the city has already reduced the workforce by approximately 30 percent and reduced park and city facility hours to cut costs
The Council agreed the city will seek to maintain current levels of public safety and police services, including neighborhood patrols and crime and gang prevention programs. Other community services such as street maintenance may need to be further reduced, causing
city streets, roads, sidewalks and public infrastructure to deteriorate further and fall into disrepair.
The significant cost saving measures the city has employed in recent years to address the ongoing budget crisis will not be sufficient to avoid further cuts and community disruptions, she said, which will have a negative impact upon public safety and the character of the community in Artesia.

Meta Quest 3S 128GB Renewed — Dive into Mixed Reality — Unreal Experiences — All-in-One Headset

$269.99 (as of May 23, 2025 17:28 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

2025 Lincoln Penny Collection, S P D Mint Marks, Proof and Uncirculated Set, 3 Pieces

(14)

$39.95 (as of May 23, 2025 17:28 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Anker Laptop Charger, 140W MAX USB C Charger, 4-Port Multi-Device Fast Charging, Advanced GaN Power Adapter, Intuitive Touch Controls, for MacBook, iPhone 16 Series, Samsung Galaxy, Pixel, and More

(502)

$99.99 (as of May 23, 2025 17:28 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Rain-X 810165 Latitude 2-In-1 Water Repellent Wiper Blades, 22 Inch Windshield Wipers (Pack Of 2), Automotive Replacement Windshield Wiper Blades With Patented Rain-X Water Repellency Formula

(113195)

$36.18 (as of May 24, 2025 05:27 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Nippies Nipple Covers for Women - Sticky Adhesive Silicone Pasties - Reusable Pasty Nipple Cover with Travel Box

(42162)

$26.50 (as of May 24, 2025 05:27 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

WHOOP Peak – 12-Month Membership – 5.0 Health and Fitness Wearable – 24/7 Activity and Sleep Tracker with Heart Rate, HRV, Stress Monitor, Personalized Coaching, Healthspan – 14+ Days Battery Life

(15)

$239.00 (as of May 23, 2025 17:28 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

USANOOKS Microfiber Cleaning Cloth Grey - 12 Pcs (12.5"x12.5") - High Performance - 1200 Washes, Ultra Absorbent Microfiber Towel Weave Grime & Liquid for Streak-Free Mirror Shine - Car Washing Cloth

(14118)

$7.98 (as of May 24, 2025 05:27 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

TicTac Shot Pool Toys Games Set- Tic-Tac-Toe Inflatable Pool Toy with 10 Balls - for Adults Teens Kids 2-10 Players

(53)

$30.99 (as of May 23, 2025 17:28 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Nespresso Capsules Vertuo, Variety Pack, Medium and Dark Roast Coffee, 30 Count Coffee Pods, Brews 7.8 oz.

(120672)

$39.00 (as of May 24, 2025 05:27 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Lenovo IdeaPad 1 Laptop Computer for Home and Business Student, 32GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB PCIe SSD, 15.6" FHD, Intel Dual-Core Processor, WiFi 6, Bluetooth, Type-C, HDMI, Windows 11 Pro, Wendbo

(456)

$419.00 (as of May 23, 2025 17:28 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)