$6.9-Million Budget Approved as City Is Spared From Property Tax Shift : Spending: Newly incorporated areas not required to give funds to state, allowing for a surplus of $454,880.

MALIBU —  While many cities and counties are hurting from the effect of this year’s state budget process, Malibu will emerge relatively unscathed.

The City Council on Monday approved an operating budget of $6.9 million, about $126,000 more than last year. The city anticipates revenues of $7.4 million for the 1993-94 fiscal year that begins today.

The city had expected a substantial decrease in revenues compared to last year because of a decrease in city fees and the threat of losing more than $188,000 in property taxes to the state. But the threat never materialized, city officials said, because Gov. Pete Wilson and the Legislature have agreed on an allocation formula that spares newly incorporated cities from the cuts.

The budget provides for a surplus of $454,880, which the council can use to boost the city’s $2.4 million in reserves or apply toward community programs, Assistant City Manager Mark Lorimer said. Various programs and projects have been proposed, including construction of a new pool and athletic facilities for Malibu High School. Such a project would be jointly funded and used by the city and the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.

The budget still calls for spending cuts in some departments and services, including planning, public works, engineering and street maintenance.

However, the city will add a public works director and secretary and a $35,000 contract with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for a weekend beach patrol starting this weekend and operating through Labor Day. At Councilman Walt Keller’s urging, the council raised the city’s budget for legal services to $480,000 from the $242,000 proposed by staff. Keller said the lower amount was inadequate, given the court challenges to the city’s Interim Zoning Ordinance and mobile-home rent-control ordinances.

The council also approved in concept a plan by the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District to jointly build, operate and maintain a pool and athletic facilities at Malibu High School. Facilities would include a baseball field, soccer and softball fields and two new tennis courts. The facilities would be used by Malibu schools, for city recreation programs and by the community.

The proposal calls for the city to provide $340,000 as its share of construction funding. The bulk of the money would come from developer fees required by the state and a special parks assessment district approved last year by voters in 88 cities in Los Angeles County, including Malibu. The remaining $100,000 would come out of the city’s general operating budget, to be spread over a three-year period. The council has agreed to review the proposal, which also includes additional estimates for operations and maintenance.