Budget Approved, Charter Hearing Dates Set and Fire Breaks Out on Mt. Diablo

It was an important week for Clayton's government, as the City Council Tuesday.

The difference between this year's general fund budget and the 2010-11 budget is a measly .1 percent, going down from $3.656 million to $3.651 million. Compared to many California cities, Clayton's budget is in good shape. The city has a reserve fund of $5.1 million, or 140 percent of its general fund.

About 50 percent of Clayton's budget goes to the Police Department, which has a yearly budget of about $1.8 million. The next highest expense for the city is administration and finance, which costs about $830,000.

Also, at a busy City Council meeting, the council .

"Do The Right Thing" was started in September by the city to encourage good character and citizenship among students at , and .

In other news, the Mt. Diablo Unified School District they will be hearing and voting on converting Clayton Valley High into a charter school.

The board announced the the first public hearing will take place Aug. 9 and it plans to vote on the conversion at its Sept. 13 meeting.

On Friday, smoke hung over Clayton in the late afternoon .

The blaze was quickly contained, with firefighters from Cal Fire and the Contra Costa Fire District helping extinguish the fire.