Manteca’s Community Development Department for all practical purposes will cease to exist unless a municipal budget is adopted prior to Aug. 1.The reason is all eight department positions are being covered by special funds and not general funds for the final 11 months of the fiscal year that started July 1. Failure to adopt the budget also means the city won’t be able to start the recruiting process for a traffic engineer that the council several months ago identified as being crucial. That in turn will set back projects that the council had deemed high priorities including sidewalks and road improvements on Louise Avenue in East Manteca, sidewalk to the Social Security office on Commerce Drive, Woodward Avenue speeding and safety issues, and addressing safety concerns on Cottage Avenue between the freeway overcrossing and Louise Avenue.Should the Community Development Department be defunded due to a new budget not being in place it would stop the processing of all projects ranging from subdivision work to employment centers.By not adopting the proposed overall municipal spending plan of $95.7 million including $13.6 million in capital improvement projects it means Manteca is still operating under a continuing budget resolution they passed in June.