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• Area crews continue battling fires; advise clearing weeds when safe

• Blazes fueled by wind, heat forcing evacuations in Northern California

• Lodi Middle students visiting Fresno State for tech camp

• Lockeford Community Park — possibilities endless, but money needed to keep it up

• Agency supplying meals to local seniors to shut doors

• Boy suffers head injuries after being hit by car

• Regional Roundup

• Galt prepares for flat revenue in '09 and '10

• Did petition against groundwater charge qualify for ballot?

November 2nd, 2009

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

November 7th, 2009

• Lodi High graduate was at Fort Hood

• Lining up for flu shots in Lodi

• Tour packs buses as birdwatchers admire Sandhill cranes

• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks

• Daytime thieves targeting Lodi homes

• Lodi High School rally featured on 'Good Day Sacramento'

• Out of control

• Homicide suspect Anthony Hubbard arraigned

• Regional Roundup

• New Lodi Memorial rule to combat spread of H1N1: Visitors must be older than 16

November 6th, 2009

• Short sales make up nearly half of Lodi market

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi man accused of smuggling drugs, weapons for inmates at state prison

• 'I-5 Strangler' sentenced to 6 terms of life

• Jury convicts Acampo man of torture, assault of his girlfriend

• Young girl is 200,000th person to assemble AIDS, HIV care kit

• Woman in wheelchair struck by car

November 5th, 2009

• A lower Lodi Lake

• Streetside scarecrows

• San Joaquin County considers moratorium on new Williamson Act contracts

• Speakers address Lodi Unified School District budget shortfalls, plea to keep programs

• Armed robbers still targeting Lodi shops

• Regional Roundup

• California voters have final say over $11 billion water bond

• Weekend bus service to continue until Lodi City Council makes decision

• Paul Tebbel shines spotlight on sandhill cranes

• Your complete guide to Sandhill Crane Festival

• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy

• Man wanted in Acampo homicide gives up to San Joaquin County Sheriff's detectives

November 4th, 2009

• Candle fire

• Rep. Jerry McNerney sets telephone town hall for Thursday

• Jason Behrmann is unanimously named Galt's city manager

• Regional Roundup

• Galt City Council argues over ordinance hiring residents

• San Joaquin County sues state over prison hospital planned for Stockton

• Big win for Allen Baroni in reclamation election

• California sends Democratic loyalist John Garamendi to Congress

• Bicycling father raising awareness of teen suicide

• Lodi City Council weighs raising fares to restore some bus service

November 3rd, 2009

• 500 attend service for Kyle Coumas

• Correction

• Galt considers ordinance that would require city contractors to hire locally

• Regional Roundup

• Have you seen a missing guide dog puppy in Lodi?

• Galt man dies after weekend Highway 12 crash

• Jason Behrmann is top candidate for Galt city manager

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

• Clarification

November 2nd, 2009

• Downtown Lodi trick or treat

• Public Meetings

• Correction

• Kyle Coumas funeral today

• 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home

• Regional Roundup

• Group investigates reports of haunting

• Sandhill Cranes Festival comes to Lodi next weekend

• Lamborghini lovers gather for show, fine wine, luncheon in Woodbridge

• Lodi's 'Biggest Loser' Christy Richesin runs 5K Halloween race

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• Bible is entwined with American civic life (135)
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• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy (70)
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Galt prepares for flat revenue in '09 and '10

Galt city officials are preparing for two years of relatively flat revenue, something they say isn't all bad considering the sliding economy.

For the next two fiscal years, Galt expects property tax to falter only slightly from $2.5 million to about $2.49 million per year. City sales tax projections show a small uptick from $1.7 million to $1.87 million.

"We're feeling very lucky, because (other cities) had significant drops," Galt City Manager Ted Anderson said Wednesday.

Indeed, in Lodi, city officials expect sales and property tax revenue to be off by a combined $1 million during the next year.

Anderson said the lack of recent new home construction in Galt has kept property values — and thus revenue — from plummeting.

At least one city leader, however, said she's not convinced Galt's revenue will remain stable.

"That is only a projection," Galt Councilwoman Barbara Payne said of Anderson's figures. "I think reality may be a little different."

The Galt City Council received an overview Monday of the proposed budgets for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 fiscal years.

The council will take a more detailed look at the budgets at its June 24 meeting.

A council vote on the spending plans is not expected until July 1.

Anderson said no layoffs will be required, though he expects four positions could remain open. Those would affect the police, public works, building and planning departments, he said.

Also, the city will need to shift about $1.5 million from the General Fund to Galt's parks and recreation department over the next two fiscal years.

That's because revenue from the Galt Flea Market — which has funded parks and recreation in the past — has "maxed out," Anderson said.

The scarcity of applications for new homes has led to declines in development fee revenue, Anderson noted.

He estimated there will be "almost no" new home building in the city over the next two years.

That will impact more than just revenue, Payne noted. Much of Galt's industry is tied to home construction and jobs could be at stake.

Galt Councilman Don Haines, who was not able to attend Monday's budget overview, said Galt is likely in for two tough years.

"I think that we're going to have to struggle through it like everybody else," he said.

Contact reporter Chris Nichols at chrisn@lodinews.com.