Media, Editorial Board Support Grand Island's Vision in Prioritization

http://theindependent.com/articles/2010/03/25/opinions/editorials/doc4baa30b2857bb578139492.txt

Budget process requires clear priorities, vision

By examining each of the 365 programs that are directed out of City Hall, the administration, mayor and city council are looking under every rock for ways to save taxpayer dollars and keep core services intact. It is a responsible and rational way to control expense growth on programs that may be well intended, but do not significantly support the community in the four core areas.


The upcoming budget sessions promise to be difficult. However the work now being done with the Program Prioritization process promises to be useful to the council, mayor, administration staff and department directors to develop an outcome that does not require painful tax increases.



Under the direction of City Administrator Jeff Pederson, city departments are painstakingly going through an exercise called the Program Prioritization process. The goal is to identify ways to cut expenditures while maintaining the city’s main core priorities.

With city budget costs inching up every year and facing a $1.5 million revenue shortfall this year followed by a $3 million gap in the coming year, the city is acting in a proactive approach. The reliance on sales tax for community needs as opposed to property taxes means the city will have bigger income some years followed by less income in other years, all depending on the local economic pressures. In addition, recent contract negotiations and the directives from the CIR have created a curve of escalating employee costs that simply cannot be sustained. Also, prior commitments to major projects and the subsequent debt load have triangulated with the lower sales tax revenues to place a serious squeeze on city coffers.

Some have called for a flat percentage reduction across the board for city departments. That is the simple way to address costs. It is also the most foolish. Such a draconian slashing would certainly reduce expenses to the desired amount, but it would also damage those areas that are deemed more important to the city.

Four core areas were determined by the mayor and council last year: quality of life; a safe community; stewardship of the environment; and strategic, sustainable and maintained development.

Such priorities are the cornerstones of a progressive community.

In addition, the budget sessions need to be guided with a vision of what is important to Grand Island’s future. Cutting back on infrastructure needs may save money now, but require massive attention down the road. We only have to look to Omaha’s federally mandated, $2.8 billion sewer-separation project as an example of failing to maintain vital services.

By examining each of the 365 programs that are directed out of City Hall, the administration, mayor and city council are looking under every rock for ways to save taxpayer dollars and keep core services intact. It is a responsible and rational way to control expense growth on programs that may be well intended, but do not significantly support the community in the four core areas.

The upcoming budget sessions promise to be difficult. However the work now being done with the Program Prioritization process promises to be useful to the council, mayor, administration staff and department directors to develop an outcome that does not require painful tax increases.