Budget Reality Check: Be Prepared !!

Organizations of all types and sizes should have a contingency plan for the worse case scenario. In the case of the current Budget Question the City Manager has not prepared a proposal or a budget with actual figures to represent the what if the RDA funding is cut to an extreme . Who and what would be removed from the city's operations. Citizens should be able to know per household how much tax or bond increase is needed to fund the city's current operations and where exactly that money is going per bond issue. There may be support for the Dog Park , but none for Code Enforcement, beyond what the County, or State will enforce. Item by item the cost should be disclosed to the Council Members and Public and the per capita cost that is covered by available funds and what would have to be covered by bond raised taxes.

The redevelopment agency land should be sold to pay off the debt of the Redevelopment Agency. The geologically unstable land that is designated for use as the Dog Park should not be sold. The land that can be sold for commercial and residential home building should be divested from City Control of any kind. The City has proven over the years that the RDA has not been conducive to increasing the Sales Tax Revenue or increasing the jobs or making much of an improvement in the local economy other than those pockets of a few developers and City Hall workers earning the salary and benefits costing over 140,000 per year. (The average family with a combined household income in GT is about 55,000.00 it is economically improper for a single city employee to earn more than a 2 income home.)

So the point of all this is the City Council and the Citizens have not been provided a real look at the Dooms Day Budget. This would be based on the best lowest estimate of funds available if all the bad projections come true. To be aware and fully plan for such an event would be the most prudent way to start the Budget discussion and planning. How low is low.. how high is high. What actions can be taken to reach middle then can be evaluated by their merits and public support?