The City of Carlsbad started its new fiscal year last month with a balanced budget that maintains the city's high quality services, promotes programs to foster a strong local economy and continues our efforts to streamline local government.
The city's $260 million spending plan maintains library hours, recreation programs, police and fire and other core city services at their current levels and continues the city's investment in critical infrastructure.
I think one of the most significant accomplishments is that we balanced this year's budget without dipping into our reserves or using other budget gimmicks. Instead, we reduced our spending to match our projected revenues.
Like many companies, the first step in creating our annual budget is projecting our revenues. In Carlsbad, our main sources of revenues are property tax, sales tax and hotel or "TOT" tax. And, just as business has been hit hard by the recession, the economy has taken a toll on our revenues, which are down nearly 20 percent since the start of the recession.
Over the past few years, as we saw our revenue projections start to decrease, we reduced spending accordingly, before the situation became an emergency.
One of the main areas of savings has come from reducing the size of the city workforce. For this year's budget, we trimmed an additional 14.75 vacant positions from the city workforce, bringing the total reduction since the start of the recession to 36.5 positions. The city has also implemented pension reform, establishing lower benefit levels for new employees and requiring employees to pay their share.
We have been able to maintain our high levels of services with fewer people by reorganizing to work more efficiently and by using technology to streamline our work. In some cases, however, the public might have to wait a little longer for common service requests like street light replacements or pothole repairs.
Among the key priorities identified by the City Council for the fiscal year 2011-12 budget is an increased focus on working with the business community, both to help existing businesses in Carlsbad prosper and to attract new economic development to the city. Our new Economic Development Manager Kathy Dodson is leading this effort. You will undoubtedly be seeing Kathy at many chamber functions as she gets to know the Carlsbad business community.
Traffic management is another key priority, including a new computerized system to synchronize traffic signals and improve pedestrian crossings along the beach, in the Village and other streets with heavy foot traffic.
The city is also working to complete a property exchange with the state that would free up coastal land around Carlsbad Boulevard and Palomar Airport Road, supporting city goals for increased coastal access and economic development.
In fiscal year 2011-12, the city will start construction on Alga Norte Community Park, complete major work around Lake Calavera and continue to add to its 40-plus miles of public trails.
The City of Carlsbad's proposed Capital Improvement Program budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 includes $65.3 million in new projects to improve traffic flow in the city and support basic infrastructure such as water, sewer, drainage and roads.
It hasn't been easy, but by keeping our focus on what is most important to the Carlsbad community and by carefully managing our resources, the City of Carlsbad is coming out of the recession on solid ground.
Working closely with our businesses and residents, we are ready to seize new opportunities to strengthen the local economy and fulfill our community's vision for the future.
The city's $260 million spending plan maintains library hours, recreation programs, police and fire and other core city services at their current levels and continues the city's investment in critical infrastructure.
I think one of the most significant accomplishments is that we balanced this year's budget without dipping into our reserves or using other budget gimmicks. Instead, we reduced our spending to match our projected revenues.
Like many companies, the first step in creating our annual budget is projecting our revenues. In Carlsbad, our main sources of revenues are property tax, sales tax and hotel or "TOT" tax. And, just as business has been hit hard by the recession, the economy has taken a toll on our revenues, which are down nearly 20 percent since the start of the recession.
Over the past few years, as we saw our revenue projections start to decrease, we reduced spending accordingly, before the situation became an emergency.
One of the main areas of savings has come from reducing the size of the city workforce. For this year's budget, we trimmed an additional 14.75 vacant positions from the city workforce, bringing the total reduction since the start of the recession to 36.5 positions. The city has also implemented pension reform, establishing lower benefit levels for new employees and requiring employees to pay their share.
We have been able to maintain our high levels of services with fewer people by reorganizing to work more efficiently and by using technology to streamline our work. In some cases, however, the public might have to wait a little longer for common service requests like street light replacements or pothole repairs.
Among the key priorities identified by the City Council for the fiscal year 2011-12 budget is an increased focus on working with the business community, both to help existing businesses in Carlsbad prosper and to attract new economic development to the city. Our new Economic Development Manager Kathy Dodson is leading this effort. You will undoubtedly be seeing Kathy at many chamber functions as she gets to know the Carlsbad business community.
Traffic management is another key priority, including a new computerized system to synchronize traffic signals and improve pedestrian crossings along the beach, in the Village and other streets with heavy foot traffic.
The city is also working to complete a property exchange with the state that would free up coastal land around Carlsbad Boulevard and Palomar Airport Road, supporting city goals for increased coastal access and economic development.
In fiscal year 2011-12, the city will start construction on Alga Norte Community Park, complete major work around Lake Calavera and continue to add to its 40-plus miles of public trails.
The City of Carlsbad's proposed Capital Improvement Program budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 includes $65.3 million in new projects to improve traffic flow in the city and support basic infrastructure such as water, sewer, drainage and roads.
It hasn't been easy, but by keeping our focus on what is most important to the Carlsbad community and by carefully managing our resources, the City of Carlsbad is coming out of the recession on solid ground.
Working closely with our businesses and residents, we are ready to seize new opportunities to strengthen the local economy and fulfill our community's vision for the future.