Various Videos from the City Commission Work Session on the Budget...

This is the Commission discussing the general fund portion of the budget.  McVoy continues to lay wreaths at the feet of the former city manager - the Mayor reminds him that we are dealing with the future here, not the past.  It is amazing that the ad valorem revenue portion of the budget is half what the contribution by the utility is to the budget.  What Commissioners Mulvehill and McVoy don't seem to realize is that the sum total of their policies to keep property values low, have a defacto moratorium on development by having an unworkable set of land development regulations and Comprehensive Plan and discourage attempts at redevelopment has taken roost.  No one is even looking at the prospect of improving and increasing the value of property in the city - other than hoping that the city has "hit bottom" and that next year will somehow be better.  Well, when we have residential properties selling for below $25,000 in large areas of the city that have fallen off of the tax rolls and have no real commercial tax base to compensate, we have to rely on the utility or other sources to make up the difference.  McVoy desperately worked an equation that the average utility bill includes $10 per month contribution to the general fund - trying to make that sound as if that is o.k.

McVoy and Mulvehill share a spell of amnesia about why the pool is closed and why it was projected to be open during 2013 - and, most importantly, ignored the aesthetics of the early 1970s era pool building that has suffered damage during the redevelopment of the site.  Bornstein says that an expert is coming out to look at the pool - he has observed that the pool might be sinking.  McVoy hauls the Greater Bay effigy out as an excuse about the pool - no where in the budget discussion was how to fit in the settlement likely due to Greater Bay after the case goes to trial.

The next big discussion is going to be how much of a revenue generator the ballroom can be?  McVoy repeated the refrain of this being a "beach park" and that certain areas are designed for the public to use for a nominal fee or free - and he seemed to be referencing the ballroom.  The rest of the Commission picked up on the importance of the idea that this could be a real revenue generator for the city and they have to agree on a policy soon - or else they could miss an entire season of revenue.  Many groups have already identified themselves as "futures" to use the ballroom, but can't commit since the city has no clear policy on whether it should be done in house or contracted out - and how the use of the space is prioritized for different groups.  This will be the subject of a future special meeting just on this topic.  Can you smell the popcorn?