Rancho Palos Verdes Finances

The Midwestern pied piper of peacocks will not be helping besieged residents of Rancho Palos Verdes get a good night's sleep after all. Last month, in response to a storm of complaints that wild peafowl are destroying gardens, leaving an unholy mess on cars and shattering the night with their distinctive cry of "elp elp," City Council members voted to fly in an Iowa peacock expert to advise the city on how to live with the wild birds and keep them out of yards.

The Midwestern pied piper of peacocks will not be helping besieged residents of Rancho Palos Verdes get a good night's sleep after all. Last month, in response to a storm of complaints that wild peafowl are destroying gardens, leaving an unholy mess on cars and shattering the night with their distinctive cry of "elp elp," City Council members voted to fly in an Iowa peacock expert to advise the city on how to live with the wild birds and keep them out of yards.

Already facing a $1.2-million shortfall on next year's $7-million budget, hard-pressed Rancho Palos Verdes city officials were hit by more fiscal bad news this week: They are losing another $1 million in anticipated property tax revenue from the county. Officials blame the loss on Gov. Pete Wilson, who vetoed a bill designed to help financially strapped cities. Though the issue is complex, the effect on the city is quite clear.

Already facing a $1.2-million shortfall on next year's $7-million budget, hard-pressed Rancho Palos Verdes city officials were hit by more fiscal bad news this week: They are losing another $1 million in anticipated property tax revenue from the county. Officials blame the loss on Gov. Pete Wilson, who vetoed a bill designed to help financially strapped cities. Though the issue is complex, the effect on the city is quite clear.