The only contentious issue in passing the city budget during a special city council session Tuesday was travel funds for Councilmember Art Brieno.
The City Council approved the two-year budget for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 fiscal years, sitting at $81.6 million and $86 million respectively. Financial Director Chris Tavarez said the council is able to change budget items during the year, but passing the budget gives city staff direction.
The single issue the council discussed was whether to reinstate a $2,000 travel budget for Brieno, which was removed when he was censured in March.
The censure was imposed after a report by an independent attorney surfaced which substantiated claims by Community Development Director Darlene Mata that Brieno âtreated her in an unprofessional, inappropriate, dismissive and/or discriminatory manner,â based on her gender.
Life Again?: The top 10 stories of 2020 [The Hanford Sentinel, Calif.]
Dec. 21 HANFORD 2020. The year that absolutely no one will forget. Littered with multiple divisive issues, none bigger than COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement, the year had multiple memorable moments in Kings County.
After hours of combing through hundreds of stories I wrote, here are my top 10 of 2020.
1. Hundreds attend Black Lives Matter protest at Hanford Civic Auditorium
HANFORD With Hanford being a staunch and overtly conservative area, organizers for the Black Lives Matter protest in June were hoping for 50 people to show up. Instead, what transpired was a sea of support at the Hanford Civic Auditorium with more than 500 people standing in solidarity for one cause.