The City Council met this past week to start the discussion of how to address the deficit budgeting and limiting the use of the City’s reserve funds over the next four to five years.
There seemed to be general agreement on what areas of the budget were essential services that must be provided for the health, safety and welfare of the community. I pointed out that I thought there were two categories of essential services: public safety and infrastructure protection. Public safety would include Police and Fire services. Infrastructure protection would be Public Works maintenance of streets, lagoons and levees along with sewer and water services.
I also included parks maintenance which is vital to our community identity. I feel there is little opportunity to reduce cost or merge functions in those areas; and there are few opportunities to reduce personnel services. However there could be some reductions in supplies and services.
There are non-essential but necessary services spread throughout the remaining existing City departments. In addition there are programs the city provides that are not necessary even though they are desirable. There are opportunities in personnel, supplies and services for reduction considerations.
I will not go into the details of what came out of the meeting last week because, frankly, I’m not sure what did. I know there is likely to be a great difference in opinion on the part of the Council as to what each Councilmember believes should be included as essential and necessary services aside from public safety and infrastructure maintenance.
It is important to note that between now and the 2014 fiscal year budget the City will reduce its reserves by over 6 million dollars. In the years beyond 2014, if projections are accurate, we will have an additional structural deficit of 2 million dollars a year without the use of reserves. I believe that now is the time to make the difficult decisions to start addressing that deficit in order to have a balanced budget, without the use of reserve funds, by July 1, 2014.
Some of the decisions that need to be made are not popular. I understand that, but I don’t believe that I was elected to be popular. I believe the voters elected me to use my very best judgment and to be fiscally responsible in order to maintain our wonderful city for future generations.
You may contact me via e-mail rwykoff@fostercity.org.
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