Minutes 03/28/1995 - Laserfiche WebLink

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051 March 28,1995 ~ctions, not transcend adversity. The actions taken over the last five years have been difficult, but absolutely necessary to reposition our city through its municipal organization into a more efficient entity. The proposed FY 96 General Fund Operating Budget of approximately $120 million that I submit to you today represents a 1.2% increase over the prior year'sbudget of approximately $118 million, Factoring out increases recommended in public safety, debt service transfers, and refuse collection, the FY 96 proposed budget represents a 1/2% decrease over FY 95. Of fifty-six (56) general fund cost centers, tWenty-seven (27) show a reductiOn in PrOPosed expenditures below FY 95, with seventeen (17) of those having been reduced 5% or more. In addition, the FY 96 proposed budget includes a net decrease of eleven (11) positions for all funds, despite forty-six (46) new public safety positions. Your leadership has made our gradual improvement possible, but our work is not yet finished, You have demonstrated your willingness to boldly move forward. This budget, again, requires that same willingness to risk the unpopular by supporting and authorizing needed actions which will enable our city to meet its challenges in a fashion which will last for many years. We remain focused on right-sizing the municipal organization. Our work force management and reduction efforts, along with customer service improvement, will continue. Consolidation efforts must diligently move forward and demand that we set aside organizational self-interest. These efforts are a part of a long-term process requiring citizen and leadership support coupled with management determination. We must commit to do that which is necessary to make our city and iits citizens safe. As I have stated publicly many times before, I am not a subscriber to the notion that more police officers are the solution to our city's, or America's crime problem. We do, however, need to add resources and work those resources differently and smarter. At the same time, we must continue the leisure, community, educational, and social ~ervice programs which hold the keys to solving our crime problem. We have realized much success in economic development, and I applaud the efforts of our staff and those of the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority, as well as their respective Commissioners. To Continue this success, a focused strategy must be d~ve~oped to attract new retail ventures while retaining, enabling, and nurturing our existing retail businesses. Retail development is vital to the economic rebirth of Portsmouth. General sales tax revenues over the last ten years have continued to decline, diminishing a major revenue source. With these factors in mind, efforts are currently underway to recruit a retail specialist to carry out this strategy. Equally as important as public safety, crime prevention, and economic development, the budget must address our code enforcement problem. While code compliance often leaves much to be desired, I also realize that our efforts are not meeting your expectations. We must work for needed legislative change for stricter laws and realize that the expansion of our staff resource base will not give us what we need as a city, if we do not work harder and more resourcefully in partnership with our citizens.