City proposes largely 'status quo' new budget

Bakersfield city officials unveiled a $576 million proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year Wednesday night, one with no additional employees and largely status quo service levels -- a "significant departure" from recent years. Whereas the city has been able to enjoy "growth-oriented" budgets the past three fiscal years, the 2015-2016 one presented to the Bakersfield City Council pulls back as a result of depressed oil prices and other hits to revenue sources and increasi