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Hundreds Pack Oxnard City Council Meeting Over Proposed Budget Cuts

Hundreds of people packed a six hour long city council meeting on the South Coast Wednesday night, with people upset because of proposed budget cuts which could impact everything from public safety to recreation. The City of Oxnard is trying to figure out how to deal with a projected $9.2 million dollar budget shortfall.

People objected to various parts of the plan, which calls for laying off about 30 employees, cutting public safety overtime, and closing some recreational and educational facilities. The Oxnard City Council agreed to keep the La Colonia gym and La Colonia library open.

Plans to close the Oxnard Performing Arts Center were placed on hold, with city officials saying they hope to find an outside group to run it. But, a number of cuts including closing the Carnegie Arts Museum are still in the plan, which is scheduled for a final vote later this month.

Mayor Tim Flynn says the city has put off some tough decisions for too long, and it can no longer afford to wait.

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral. 
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