Budget Priorities for Fiscal Year 2012

For the purpose of discussion during the City Council’s upcoming budget review process, below is a list of my priorities for the next budget year

‍Civilian Positions in the Police Department:  Cutting civilian positions within the Police Department has a direct impact on sworn police officers’ ability to be actively patrolling our neighborhoods. Police support staff are vital and need to be retained so that our sworn officers are free to have a greater presence in our communities.

Rolling Brown-Outs: The rolling brown-out plan implemented by the city should be reviewed to the maximum extent possible to determine if other funding is available to allow fire-life safety services to be fully restored.

City AuditorStaff Positions:  It is important that we continue to increase the staff resources of the City AuditorsOffice.  The City Auditor’s ability to conduct comprehensive audits on various city departments and functions is vital in promoting accountability, efficiency and transparency in our city government.

Neighborhood Parks and Recreation Centers Prioritization: Neighborhood parks and recreation centers throughout the city provide safe areas for recreation and family activities.  The community parks that receive the most use, and therefore require higher levels of upkeep and maintenance, should be prioritized in the budget.

Reinstitution of the Lifeguard Training Program and Relief Staffing:  In recent years the Lifeguard Training Program and Lifeguard relief staffing have been either cut or reduced.  These functions are vital to preserving public safety at our beaches and need to be restored in the upcoming budget.

CommunityPlan Update Funding: Continuing to update our community plans throughout the city is vital in providing a clear vision for the development preferences of each community.  Allowing a process that brings all stakeholders to the table can only result in better planning within our communities.  Funding for community plan updates needs to be retained to the fullest extent possible in order to allow our communities to properly plan for development and community amenities.

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