LEMON GROVE, CALIF. (KGTV) - Lemon Grove’s financial issues have some in city hall talking about bankruptcy or disincorporation.
The city says if action is not taken to correct their budget deficit, it will eat into reserve funds that they cannot afford to lose.
Lemon Grove City Council voted against increasing its sales tax last month which would have added almost two million dollars to their yearly general fund.
An identical discussion occurred in 2010 when the then City Council was asked to consider a tax measure on the ballot and it was denied.
“I don’t think they’re qualified to run a lemonade stand,” said Brent Johnson, a Lemon Grove resident, “I don’t understand why people spend so much money on frivolous things.”
Lemon Grove has already outsourced its law enforcement to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and if the city was disincorporated its remaining governmental responsibilities would go the county.
“I think it should be the county’s turn to run things here” said another resident Doug Hutton, “things could get better here.”
The city maintains they are not considering disincorporation or bankruptcy right now, but a decision will have to be made in the next 4 to 7 years.
Only 17 cities in the history of California have been disincorporated.
