[Mayor Tuerk's 2027 budget delivery]
[00:00:07]
AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS MATT TUREK. I'M THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN. I WANT TO WELCOME YOU ALL. IT'S A FRIENDLY AUDIENCE HERE. LOOKS LIKE TO THE THE PEOPLE'S HEARING ROOM OR THE PUBLIC HEARING ROOM, AS WE'VE BEEN CALLING IT. I WANT TO SAY HI TO EVERYBODY OUT THERE ON FACEBOOK. TODAY WE ARE ANNOUNCING OUR 2027 BUDGET. SO A DAY THAT I KNOW MANY OF US LOOK FORWARD TO EVERY YEAR. PARTICULARLY OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. SO I'M VERY, VERY, VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE WITH YOU. I HAVE I HAVE A NEW TRADITION WHERE EVERY TIME I'M IN FRONT OF A MICROPHONE OR SPEAKING TO A CROWD, BECAUSE ALLENTOWN'S A MAJORITY LATINO CITY, I LIKE TO TAKE A WORD OF IN ENGLISH AND TRANSLATE IT TO SPANISH. WE'RE ALL GOING TO DO A LITTLE LEARN A LITTLE BIT OF SPANISH. SO TODAY'S WORD SHOULD BE OBVIOUS TO EVERYONE. WE'RE GOING TO DO BUDGET. YEAH. OKAY. SO WE ALL KNOW HOW TO SAY BUDGET IN ENGLISH. I'M GOING TO ASK FOR SOME HELP, ALTHOUGH I KNOW THAT WORD. CAN SOMEBODY HELP ME WITH BUDGET IN SPANISH? FREDDIE SAYING NO. LET'S SEE. J DO YOU WANT TO HELP US WITH BUDGET IN SPANISH? IT'S PRESUPUESTO PUESTO. THE WORD FOR BUDGET IN SPANISH IS PRESUPUESTO. WE HAVE THE PRESUPUESTO PARA EL ANO DOS MIL VEINTISIETE PARA PRESENTAR USTEDES. SO FOR ALL OF OUR ENGLISH SPEAKERS, WE'RE GOING TO SAY THE WORD PRESUPUESTO. SO FOLLOW AFTER ME. PRESUPUESTO.
[15-8763 Budget Documents]
GOOD. AWESOME. WE CAN ALL LEARN. I'M REALLY HAPPY TO JOIN YOU TODAY AND PRESENT THIS BUDGET.I WANT TO TELL YOU WE HAVE MADE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PROGRESS IN OUR CITY OF ALLENTOWN BUDGET.
WHEN I TOOK OFFICE BACK IN 2022 AND WORKED THROUGH MY VERY FIRST BUDGET, WE MADE HUGE STRIDES OVER PREVIOUS BUDGETS. WE MADE A STRONG INVESTMENTS IN THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN WORK. WE DEALT WITH PROBLEMS THAT ADMINISTRATIONS OF THE PAST TRIED TO IGNORE, AND WE MADE SMART DECISIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY COLLECTIVELY. WE WORKED TOGETHER AS A GROUP AND AND GOT TO A BUDGET THAT THAT WAS GOOD FOR ALL OF OUR CITY EMPLOYEES, FOR ALL OF OUR CITY RESIDENTS, AND GOOD FOR THE FUTURE OF THE CITY. I'M REALLY PLEASED THAT WE'RE ABLE TO BUILD ON THAT PROGRESS IN THE 2027 BUDGET. WE WENT THROUGH A, AS USUAL, A MONTHS LONG PROCESS TO COME TO TODAY. THAT PROCESS HAS GOTTEN BETTER AND BETTER OVER TIME AS WELL. IN OUR FIRST BUDGET, WE WORKED ALONGSIDE OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND. DID NOT GO AS SMOOTHLY AS WE ALWAYS WANTED IT TO. WE HAVE TAKEN THE MESSAGE. WE'VE GOTTEN THE MESSAGE FROM OUR CITY COUNCIL. WE'VE DEVELOPED A MORE COLLABORATIVE BUDGET PROCESS, AND I'M VERY HAPPY THAT TODAY I CAN SAY WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH CITY COUNCIL AND NOT ALONGSIDE CITY COUNCIL TO BRING YOU THIS BUDGET TODAY. I WANT TO BEFORE I JUMP IN, I DO WANT TO THANK A FEW PEOPLE WHO WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN THE PREPARATION OF THE 2027 PROPOSED BUDGET.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK BEENA PATEL, WHO IS OUR DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AT THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN. BEENA AND HER TEAM, INCLUDING MIKE ZUMAS AND BOBBY AND MARTIN AND ERICA, WORKED TIRELESSLY. AND I WON'T EVEN GO INTO THE HOURS. THEY WON'T TELL ME THE HOURS THEY WORKED. WE JUST KNOW THEY WORKED INTO THE NIGHT FOR A LONG TIME TO DELIVER THE BUDGET THAT WE HAVE TODAY, AND I WANT TO JUST APPLAUD THEM FOR THEIR WORK. THIS IS BINA'S THIRD BUDGET. FOURTH BUDGET NOW. BINA HAS MADE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PROGRESS, HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE. THE GFOA IS GOVERNMENT FINANCE ASSOCIATION BY THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE ASSOCIATION FOR THE WORK OF HER DEPARTMENT YEAR AFTER YEAR, AND THAT SHOWS IN THE QUALITY OF THIS BUDGET. SO THANK YOU TO BINA AND HER TEAM. I WANT TO THANK FRANK KANE, WHO JOINED US THIS YEAR AS OUR MANAGING DIRECTOR. I THINK THAT YOU CAN SEE, AND BEING ABLE TO ATTEST TO IT, THAT THE PROCESS THIS TIME HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY SMOOTH DUE TO THE WORK THAT FRANK HAS PUT IN ON THIS BUDGET. HE'S DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH CITY COUNCIL, WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS TO DELIVER A BUDGET THAT I'M INCREDIBLY PROUD OF. I ALSO WANT TO, AND I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU THE BUDGET BEFORE I GET INTO IT, BUT I WANT TO THANK SOMEBODY WHO'S NOT WITH US TODAY. WHEN I RAN FOR MAYOR
[00:05:04]
BACK IN 2021, I WAS GETTING TO KNOW THE THE CITY'S BUDGET, A BUDGET NERD. I MY BACKGROUND IS IN ACCOUNTING. I WAS A CONTROLLER FOR A BILLBOARD COMPANY IN PANAMA. I LIVE AND BREATHE BALANCE SHEETS AND ACTIVITY STATEMENTS AND CAPITAL PROJECTIONS. IT'S JUST IT MAKES ME HAPPY. A VERY CLOSE FRIEND WELCOMED ME IN TO CITY HALL TO DIG INTO THE CITY BUDGET. WHEN I WAS A CANDIDATE BACK IN 2021. HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING ME UNDERSTAND HOW DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT FINANCE IS FROM CORPORATE FINANCE. HE HELPED ME UNDERSTAND THE REALITIES OF BUDGETING IN GOVERNMENT, AND HE HELPED ME UNDERSTAND HOW TO THOROUGHLY ANALYZE A FINANCIAL STATEMENT ON THE GOVERNMENT SIDE TO TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON AND DELIVER FOR RESIDENTS THROUGH OVER THE PAST FOUR PLUS YEARS. HE WAS A CLOSE FRIEND, HELPED ADVISE OUR TEAM ON PREPARATION OF BUDGETS YEAR AFTER YEAR, HELPED MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE TREATING OUR RESIDENTS FAIRLY AND THAT WE WEREN'T ENGAGING IN ANY WASTEFUL PRACTICES, HE. HE ALSO MADE LIFE IN CITY HALL JUST MUCH BRIGHTER. AND I'M TALKING. I THINK YOU ALL KNOW I'M TALKING ABOUT JEFF GLAZIER, WHO PASSED EARLIER THIS YEAR. JEFF SPENT YEARS AS OUR CITY COMPTROLLER, AND HE'S. HE IS DEEPLY MISSED. HIS SMILE AND HIS ACERBIC WIT IS SOMETHING THAT THAT I CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT EVERY DAY WHEN I THINK ABOUT HIS PUBLIC SERVICE. SO I, I WANT TO THANK JEFF AS WELL, NOT JUST FOR THIS BUDGET, BUT FOR EVERY BUDGET AND EVERY BUDGET INTO THE FUTURE. AND I'LL SHOW YOU, THIS IS THE OUR DRAFT BUDGET BOOK. WE'RE INCREDIBLY HAPPY TO INCLUDE A PORTRAIT OF JEFF WITH HIS BELOVED ARTEMIS ON THE COVER OF THE 2027 BUDGET, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO TO HONOR HIS LEGACY. I HOPE THAT THIS BUDGET, THAT IT'S NOT JUST THE COVER, THAT IT'S THE BUDGET ITSELF WHICH HONORS JEFF'S COMMITMENT TO TO OUR RESIDENTS HERE IN ALLENTOWN. AND THAT'S WHY I'M PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT THIS IS A BALANCED BUDGET, THAT WE ARE DELIVERING A 2027 BALANCED BUDGET TO CITY COUNCIL AND TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN. AND I WANT TO GET INTO SOME DETAIL IN A SECOND, BUT I AM INCREDIBLY PROUD OF WHAT OUR TEAM HAS ACCOMPLISHED TO BRING THAT BUDGET INTO BALANCE. BEFORE I DO GET INTO IT, I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS HERE AS WELL. THEIR WORK ON THIS BUDGET, THEIR WORK EVERY DAY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN, OFTEN GOES WITHOUT, WITHOUT THANKS. BUT WHENEVER I GET A CHANCE, I DO, PARTICULARLY AT AN EVENT LIKE THIS, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE WHAT THEY DO EVERY DAY. YOU ALREADY HEARD FROM BINA PATEL, OUR DIRECTOR OF FINANCE. BUT I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE CHIEF OF THE ALLENTOWN POLICE DEPARTMENT CHARLES ROCHA, WHO IS HERE WITH US, OUR CHIEF OF THE ALLENTOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT, FREDDY AUGUSTO, THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS. MARK CHADA, THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, VICKY KESSLER, AS WELL AS HEALTH DIRECTOR DAVE CINNAMON. WE ALSO HAVE MANDY TOLINO, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF OUR DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION WITH US AS WELL. ALSO ON THE OPERATIONAL SIDE, I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE JOINED BY EMS CHIEF MEHMET BAR-ZEEV. ON THE ADMIN SIDE, IN ADDITION TO BINA'S WORK, I'M SO PROUD TO WORK ALONGSIDE MARTY VELAZQUEZ, WHO DIRECTS OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, JERRY ANTHONY, WHO LEADS OUR IT DEPARTMENT, AND JACK ROSE, WHO IS THE CITY SOLICITOR AND LEADS THE LAW DEPARTMENT. THE WORK THAT THEY ALL DO IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE EVERY DAY, BUT ALSO HELPING TO DELIVER A BUDGET THAT IS GOING TO BE GOOD FOR OUR RESIDENTS, GOOD FOR THEIR POCKETBOOKS AND GOOD FOR THEIR FUTURES, IS SOMETHING THAT I'M GRATEFUL TO YOU ALL FOR. SO I THANK YOU. AND I ALSO, I SAW WE WERE JUST JOINED BY OUR NEW CITY COMPTROLLER, JASMINE SALGADO. I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE JOINING US AS WELL. WELCOME AND WELCOME TO THE PRESENTATION OF THE 2027 CITY BUDGET. I HOPE IT MEETS YOUR APPROVAL. SO I WANT TO START WITH JUST A QUICK. A SMALL SET OF SLIDES. I'M NOT A SLIDES GUY, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW,[00:10:04]
BUT I WANT TO JUST HELP ROUTE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE 2027 BUDGET IN A FEW DIFFERENT IMAGES. SO THE FIRST IS WHERE YOUR TAX DOLLAR IS GOING TO AS RESIDENTS, WE TAKE YOUR TAX DOLLARS VERY SERIOUSLY. WE ARE STEWARDS OF THE PUBLIC PURSE, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE A DEPTH OF UNDERSTANDING OF EXACTLY HOW WE SPEND YOUR MONEY FOR THE BENEFIT OF EVERYBODY IN THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN. AND THANKS TO THE TEAM AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, CHELSEA KOBLER, WHO LEADS A COMMUNICATIONS. WE HAVE THIS INCREDIBLE GRAPHIC WHICH SHOWS YOU AND MOST PEOPLE WOULD WOULD IMMEDIATELY BE ABLE TO GUESS. BUT A FULL 56% OF OUR.TAX DOLLARS OF OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET GOES TO POLICE, FIRE AND EMS. THIS IS WHAT PEOPLE OFTEN THINK ABOUT WHEN THEY THINK ABOUT MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT. THEY THINK ABOUT WHO'S GOING TO SHOW UP WHEN YOU CALL 911, WHO IS THERE FOR YOU IN AN EMERGENCY? WHO IS THERE TO AVERT TRAGEDY WHEN WHEN YOU ARE ARE IN AN ENVIRONMENT LIKE THAT? SO A BIG PIECE OF WHAT WE DO EVERY DAY GOES TO THOSE EMERGENCY SERVICES, POLICE, FIRE AND EMS. THE NEXT BIGGEST PIECE YOU CAN IMAGINE IN A CITY OF WITH 18MIā S AND 440 MILES OF STREETS AND 280 MILES OF, OF, OF ALLEYS, AND HOW MANY MILES OF SEWERS AND OF STORM SEWER, 300, 300 MILES OF STORM SEWER.
YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT A HUGE PORTION OF THE BUDGET WOULD ALSO GO TO MAINTENANCE OF OUR PUBLIC WORKS. AND THAT'S THE NEXT 10%, THE NEXT LARGEST PIECE OF WHAT WE DO IS A HOST OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES. BUT THE LEAD THING, AND I THINK SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR RESIDENTS TO UNDERSTAND, IT GOES TO THINGS LIKE CODE ENFORCEMENT, TO MAINTENANCE OF PUBLIC HEALTH. SO INSPECTING RESTAURANTS AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, LED BY VICKI KESSLER AND THE HEALTH BUREAU, LED BY DAVE CINNAMON. THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE DO TO HELP KEEP OUR RESIDENTS SAFE AND DOING WELL AND AND HEALTHY. OVER THE COURSE OF A DAY, 6% OF OUR SPENDING GOES TO SERVICE DEBT.
SO IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN OUR PUBLIC WORKS, IN ORDER TO TO MAINTAIN AN INCREDIBLE PARK SYSTEM, WE HAVE GONE OUT IN THE PAST TO BORROW. WE ARE SERVICING THAT DEBT NOW. AND THAT IS A THE FOURTH LARGEST PORTION OF OUR SPENDING, FOLLOWED CLOSELY BY PARKS AND RECREATION, THE CROWN JEWEL. MOST PEOPLE WILL POINT TO OUR INCREDIBLE PARKS DEPARTMENT WHEN THEY SAY WHAT THEY'RE MOST PROUD OF IN THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN, AND WE SPEND ACCORDINGLY TO MAINTAIN A PARK SYSTEM THAT IS ACCESSIBLE, AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE THAT WE CAN MEET THE HEALTH NEEDS OF EVEN OUR YOUNGEST, THROUGH OUR PARK SYSTEM. THAT ACCOUNTS FOR 5% OF OUR TAX DOLLAR. IT COMES UP NEXT AT 4%. YOU CAN IMAGINE THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH KEEPING 900 EMPLOYEES CONNECTED, KEEPING AN ENTIRE CITY INFORMED. MUCH OF THAT COMES DOWN TO OUR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY BUDGET. NEXT, WE BATCH TOGETHER ADMIN, WHICH IS OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
OUR. VARIOUS OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES COME DOWN INTO THE ADMIN DEPARTMENT, ELECTED OFFICES. THIS IS ONE WHERE WE SHARE. SO OUR FRIENDS IN CITY COUNCIL, OUR FRIENDS IN THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE COLLECTIVELY ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT 3% OF SPENDING, WHICH IS VERY CLOSE TO WHAT WE SPEND ON THE HR AND RISK SIDE, WHERE WE ARE PROVIDING SERVICES THAT SUPPORT THE 900 EMPLOYEES BEYOND JUST THEIR CONNECTIVITY NEEDS. AND THEN FINALLY, WE HAVE AN EQUIPMENT BUDGET THAT ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT 1%. THOSE ARE THE VEHICLES AND OTHER SUNDRY EQUIPMENT THAT WE USE TO JUST DELIVER THOSE CITY SERVICES. SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD, INFORMATIVE BREAKDOWN OF HOW YOUR DOLLAR GETS SPENT HERE IN THE CITY. BUT I ALSO WANT TO LET YOU KNOW WHERE THAT MONEY COMES FROM. AND OVERWHELMINGLY, THE THE MAJORITY OF OUR GENERAL FUND COMES FROM TAX REVENUE. THIS IS A REALITY FOR ALLENTOWN, AND IT HAS BEEN FOR A VERY LONG TIME THAT ABOUT A LITTLE OVER 60% OF ALL OF OUR GENERAL FUND DOLLARS COMES FROM ONE OF TWO DIFFERENT TAXES, EITHER YOUR PROPERTY TAX OR YOUR INCOME TAX.
SO IN THE PAST, PROPERTY TAX WAS THE WAS THE GREATEST CONTRIBUTOR TO OUR GENERAL FUND
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IN RECENT YEARS. AND I'VE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, INCOME TAXES GROWN TO TO TAKE OVER AS THE LEADER IN THE CLUBHOUSE FOR WHERE OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUE COMES FROM. THAT IS A POSITIVE TREND. IT IS A TREND THAT WE HAVE A BIT OF CONTROL OVER AS WE WORK TO ATTRACT JOBS AND INVESTMENT TO ALLENTOWN AND THE LEHIGH VALLEY, AND IT'S ONE THAT IS HELPING US WITH OUR ANNUAL BUDGET. AFTER THOSE TWO BIG TAX BUCKETS COME STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING. THESE ARE THE GRANTS THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO DO A HOST OF DIFFERENT THINGS. AND I WANT TO JUST OFFER A NOTE OF THANKS TO OUR STATE SENATORS AND STATE REPRESENTATIVES NICK MILLER, JARED COLEMAN, PETE SCHWIER, MIKE SCHLOSSBERG AND ANNA TIBURCIO, WHO ARE ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT AND ALWAYS LOOKING TO BRING FUNDING BACK TO THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN TO SUPPORT PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS THAT WE DO THAT BENEFIT OUR RESIDENTS. THE NEXT SECTION HERE IS BUSINESS PRIVILEGE TAX, WHICH IS THE TAX THAT WE LEVY ON RETAIL AND SERVICE BUSINESSES FOR THEIR ACTIVITY IN THE CITY. A HOST OF OTHER TAXES, OTHER INCOME, PERMITS AND LICENSES IS A RELATIVELY SMALL PIECE OF THIS. AND THEN THE INTEREST THAT WE EARN ON INVESTMENTS.THE REASON TO SHOW YOU THE THE LONGER TAIL THERE IS TO POINT OUT THAT THE WAY THAT WE MOVE THE NEEDLE, THE THING THAT WE DO THAT REALLY IMPACTS HOW WE FUND OUR GOVERNMENT IS PROPERTY TAX AND INCOME TAX. WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING FOR HOW TO INCREASE REVENUE AND SUPPORT VARIOUS DIFFERENT SERVICES, TRYING TO FIND OTHER STREAMS OF REVENUE IS INCREDIBLY CHALLENGING.
WE'RE LIMITED IN WHAT WE CAN DO. OUR GREATEST LEVER IS PROPERTY TAX AND INCOME TAX. AND THANKFULLY IN INCREASED ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN HAS LED TO INCREASED PROPERTY TAX AND INCREASED INCOME TAX, AND WE EXPECT THAT TO CONTINUE. SO I GAVE YOU HOW WE SPEND THE MONEY I GAVE YOU, WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM. I WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE NOW TO JUST REITERATE OUR PRIORITIES OR MY MAYORAL PRIORITIES. THIS IS A BETTER AND DEEPER VERSION OF OF WHERE OUR MONEY GOES AND WHAT WE ARE INVESTED IN. YOU SAW THAT 56% OF OUR EXPENSES ARE PUBLIC SAFETY. IT'S FIRE, EMS AND POLICE. WE HAVE DONE INCREDIBLE WORK UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF CHIEF ROCHA IN REDUCING VIOLENT CRIME IN THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN, ACHIEVING SOME OF THE LOWEST LEVELS THAT WE'VE EVER SEEN IN AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, IN HOMICIDE.
THE THINGS THAT THAT PEOPLE TRULY WORRY ABOUT. SO PUBLIC SAFETY IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE A PRIORITY FOR ME AS MAYOR, FOR MAYORS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE AND WHERE THEY CAN THRIVE. I HAVE TAKEN IT A STEP FURTHER. WE COMMITTED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO TO REDUCING SERIOUS INJURY AND DEATH ON OUR ROADWAYS FOR ALL ROADWAY USERS, A PROGRAM CALLED VISION ZERO. SO WE HAVE BEEN SUPPORTED BY MARK SHOTA'S TEAM AND TRAFFIC CONTROL AND CHIEF ROCHA'S TEAM AND TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT TO SLOW THINGS DOWN IN THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE INVESTMENTS IN INFRASTRUCTURE IN OUR CITY THAT SLOW THINGS DOWN AND MAKE IT SAFER. BUT THE BELIEF IS THAT IF WE CAN SLOW TRAFFIC DOWN, AND THIS IS WHAT EVERYBODY ASKS US ABOUT, ALL OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, WHEN THEY'RE MEETING WITH RESIDENTS, WHAT THEY HEAR IS WE NEED TO SLOW IT DOWN.
WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THEIR CHILDREN IN THE STREETS. WE NEED TO JUST SLOW THINGS DOWN. THAT IS WHERE WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO INVEST. OUR TIME AND ENERGY IS ON MAKING IT SAFER FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS, AND WE DO THAT THROUGH. YOU'VE PROBABLY DRIVEN OVER SOME OF THESE SPEED CUSHIONS. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE SPEED CUSHIONS. LOOK, YOU'VE DEFINITELY SEEN OUR. THIS IS A HE CALLS HIMSELF PICASSO, OUR PICASSO OF THE PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALKS. HE'S BEEN OUT THERE. THIS WAS A VERY SMART INVESTMENT IN A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT HAS ALLOWED OUR TEAM TO INCREASE THEIR PRODUCTIVITY AROUND PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALKS, BUT WE ARE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO INCREASE VISIBILITY FOR PEDESTRIANS, FOR BICYCLISTS, AND FOR DRIVERS. THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT MAKING IT A PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE HEAVEN. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR DRIVERS AND OUR MOTORCYCLE MOTORCYCLE OPERATORS ARE ALSO ABLE TO NAVIGATE OUR STREETS SAFELY, SO THIS IS A PRIORITY THAT IF YOU IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN PAYING ATTENTION, YOU PROBABLY BEEN UNDER A ROCK. PUBLIC SAFETY IN PARTICULAR. STREET SAFETY IS A HUGE PRIORITY FOR US. ANOTHER ONE, A SIGNIFICANT ONE. ECONOMIC MOBILITY IS ONE WAY OF PHRASING IT. INCLUSIVE GROWTH IS ANOTHER WAY OF PHRASING IT. THERE ARE MUSHY WORDS AROUND THIS, BUT BASICALLY OUR COMMITMENT IS TO OUR RESIDENTS TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO GET AHEAD. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS IN THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN CAN DO BETTER, AND THAT THEY CAN GET TO GOOD JOBS, THAT THEY ARE LIVING IN
[00:20:04]
AN A CITY THAT IS AFFORDABLE, WHERE HOUSING IS A AVAILABLE AND AFFORDABLE, WHERE THEIR UTILITY COSTS ARE LOW, WHERE THE EVERY DAY COST OF LIVING CAN BE KEPT AS LOW AS POSSIBLE THROUGH THE THE, THE MEASURES THAT WE CAN TAKE, WE CAN DO A COUPLE THINGS IN THAT RESPECT.ONE THING AND ONE BIG THING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR A LITTLE WHILE NOW IS SOMETHING CALLED ALLENTOWN WORKS, WHERE WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT OBSTACLES THAT RESIDENTS FACE IN GETTING TO GOOD JOBS OR PARTICIPATING IN THE LABOR FORCE. THIS IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ALLENTOWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION THAT FOCUSES ON REDUCING BARRIERS THAT PEOPLE FACE IN TRANSPORTATION THAT PEOPLE MIGHT FACE IN THE AVAILABILITY OF AND FLEXIBILITY OF CHILDCARE, IN TRAINING AND IN INDUSTRIAL SITES HERE IN THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO BRING GOOD JOBS TO OUR CITY. I WOULD SAY THIS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY KNOWS LEHIGH VALLEY IS DOING AMAZING. I WAS RECENTLY WITH LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AUSTIN DAVIS AND A HOST OF OTHER MAYORS FROM AROUND THE COMMONWEALTH, AND HE COULDN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT HOW GREAT THINGS WERE IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY. HE KEPT MENTIONING THE $3.5 BILLION INVESTMENT THAT ELI LILLY IS GOING TO BE MAKING INTO UPPER MACUNGIE. WE RECENTLY ANNOUNCED A $1.2 BILLION INVESTMENT FOR CHOBANI IN UPPER MACUNGIE. MY INTENT IS FOR ALL OF THE JOBS THAT ARE CREATED THERE, AND I THINK WE SAID SOMETHING LIKE TOGETHER WOULD BE OVER 1700 JOBS CREATED. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY SINGLE JOB CAN BE FILLED BY ALLENTOWN RESIDENT. THAT MEANS MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE TRAINING THEY NEED TO ENTER INTO GOOD MANUFACTURING JOBS, THAT THEY DON'T FACE ANY REAL TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES IN GETTING THERE, THAT THEIR KIDS HAVE A FLEXIBLE AND AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE, THAT THEY CAN GET TO THESE GOOD JOBS AND FULLY PARTICIPATE. WE ARE REGIONAL PARTNERS WHEN UPPER MAC DOES WELL, WHEN BETHLEHEM DOES WELL, WHEN EMMAUS DOES WELL, WHEN EASTON DOES WELL, WE SHOULD DO WELL AS WELL. AND BUT WE CAN ONLY DO THAT IF WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE HAVE A CLEAR PATH TO THOSE GOOD JOBS. SO THIS IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE FOCUS ON. AND THAT'S WHERE VICKI AND DAVE AND THEIR TEAMS HAVE BEEN SO ESSENTIAL, WORKING TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS HAVE A HEALTHY HOMES, THAT THEY HAVE LEAD, FREE HOMES, THAT THEY HAVE SAFE HOMES, AND THAT WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PUT THEM IN A POSITION TO SUCCEED. SO THIS WILL CONTINUE TO BE A PRIORITY FOR US. THE OTHER ONE, AND THOSE THINGS SHOW UP IN THE BUDGET AND THAT IS WHAT WE'RE PAYING FOR. WE'RE PAYING FOR OUR INCREASED INVESTMENT IN POLICE AND SAFE STREETS, INCREASED INVESTMENT IN RENTAL INSPECTIONS AND CODE ENFORCEMENT AND IN HEALTH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE SAFE AND HEALTHY AS WE DO THIS WORK. WE'RE ALSO AND THIS IS A BIG ONE, YOU KNOW, AS ALLENTOWN'S, THE CITY HAS CHANGED A LOT OVER THE YEARS. WE ARE A CITY THAT LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT THAN WE DID 20 YEARS AGO, EVEN VERY DIFFERENT THAN WE LOOKED JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, FIVE YEARS AGO.
ALLENTOWN CONTINUES TO CHANGE, AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN AS MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES TO ENGAGE OUR RESIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF THE CITY. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY SINGLE RESIDENT IN THE CITY FEELS SEEN, THAT THEY FEEL HEARD, THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO. THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE TO BE AN INSIDER TO KNOW THE BEST WAY TO GET A TAX BILL PAID, OR WHO TO CALL WHEN THEY NEED A PROBLEM TAKEN CARE OF IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
ACTUALLY, THE BEST THING THEY CAN DO IS GO TO 311 ALLENTOWN, PA.GOV TO REPORT ANY PROBLEM THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. THOSE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT. AND THE WAY TO DO THAT IS TO TO ENGAGE PEOPLE. IT IS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES TO BE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, TO BE WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE, TO CONNECT WITH RESIDENTS AND CONNECT THEM WITH THEM IN AN AUTHENTIC WAY THAT THAT WELCOMES THEM INTO THE DECISION MAKING, INTO THE LIFE OF THE CITY. THIS BUDGET CONTINUES TO DO THAT. THIS MAKES SURE THAT ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES, FROM A PATROL OFFICER TO A FIREFIGHTER TO A RENTAL INSPECTOR, TO ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY NURSES, TO ONE OF OUR EVENTS COORDINATORS FOR PARKS, THAT EVEN A TAX EXAMINER OR A PAYROLL SPECIALIST OR A ONE OF OUR CITY SOLICITORS IS ENGAGED IN OUR RESIDENTS AND ENGAGED WITH WITH BRINGING THEM ON, BRING THEM ON BOARD TO WRITE THE FUTURE OF THE CITY. SO YOU WILL CONTINUE TO SEE THAT INVESTMENT, BECAUSE IT'S A DEEP AND IMPORTANT PRIORITY FOR US AND FOR FOR MY ADMINISTRATION. SO I SET THE PRIORITIES FOR YOU. I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW HOW WE GOT TO THE POINT THAT WE ARE AT NOW WITH THE BUDGET. IT MEANT A LOT OF HARD WORK FROM OUR TEAM,
[00:25:01]
AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, BUT I WANT TO GIVE YOU SOME SPECIFICS ON THINGS THAT WE DID TO BALANCE THIS BUDGET. THE FIRST AND PROBABLY THE MOST PAINFUL FOR A LOT OF OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS WAS WE STARTED AND FRANK WAS ABLE TO, TO DELIVER THIS, JUST A 10% REDUCTION IN THE IN THE ACROSS THE BOARD, IN OUR BUDGET, WE ASKED OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS. NOW, THIS DOESN'T AFFECT STAFFING. SO WE DIDN'T ASK ANYBODY TO REDUCE STAFFING BY 10%. WE SAID, GO TO YOUR BUDGET.LOOK AT THE DISCRETIONARY COSTS THAT YOU HAVE AND REDUCE BY 10%. I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, I'LL CONTINUE TO SAY IT. THIS IS WHAT I SAID IN MY FIRST BUDGET. BUDGETS ARE ABOUT PEOPLE.
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT IS A SERVICE BUSINESS. YOU CAN'T DELIVER QUALITY SERVICES WITHOUT AN EXCELLENT A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN PEOPLE. IT'S SOMETHING THAT MARTY HAS BEEN ABLE TO HELP US GEAR UP WITH A FOCUS ON TRAINING HERE AT THE CITY. WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN PEOPLE. WE WON'T MAKE CUTS THERE. BUT WHAT I DID ASK ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS TO DO WAS GO BACK AND TAKE A HARD LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING. THIS IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS LEARNED TO INNOVATE, AND PART OF INNOVATION IS DOING MORE LIKE LEARNING FROM WHAT YOU'VE DONE, DO MORE OF THAT, DO LESS OF THE THINGS THAT AREN'T INCREDIBLY EFFECTIVE. AND SO OUR TEAM WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT EVERYTHING AND WE, WE ASKED THEM TO DO OVER 10% BUDGET CUT. AND THEY DID THAT ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS. EVERYBODY FACED THE SAME CHALLENGE, AND EVERYBODY ROSE TO THAT CHALLENGE. AND I'M AGAIN, GRATEFUL TO YOU ALL FOR DOING THAT. BEFORE I MOVE ON, I DO WANT TO SAY WHEN WE DID THAT, THE OTHER THING THAT WE SAID IS WE'RE NOT GOING TO KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD. THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE MAKE AT THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN, AND I'LL COME BACK TO IT IN A SECOND. WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL WHEN WE MADE THESE CUTS. THESE ARE CUTS THAT ARE SUSTAINABLE FOR THE FUTURE. WE'RE NOT HIDING ANYTHING. WE'RE NOT TRYING TO TO TO PLAY WITH ACCOUNTING TRICKS. WE ASKED OUR TEAMS TO MAKE CUTS. AND THESE ARE CUTS THAT WILL SUSTAIN US THROUGH FUTURE BUDGETS. A BIG ONE THAT WE LEARNED ABOUT. SO TO GIVE YOU GLP ONES HAVE HAD A SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE IMPACT ON PEOPLE ACROSS AMERICA. IT'S HELPED PEOPLE MANAGE THEIR HEALTH. IT'S HELPED PEOPLE LIVE MORE ACTIVE, BETTER LIVES, AND IT HAS GOTTEN INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE. WHEN WE FIRST STARTED SUPPORTING GLP ONE COVERAGE IN THE CITY, IT WAS COSTING US ABOUT $500,000 A YEAR. IS THAT ACCURATE? BINA? WE'RE PROJECTING THE PROJECTIONS HAVE US SPENDING WOULD HAVE HAD US SPENDING APPROXIMATELY $5 MILLION A YEAR IN COMING YEARS. WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT. SO ONE THING THAT WE DID IS WE WENT TO OUR EMPLOYEES AND WE SAID, WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO COVER YOUR GLP ONE MEDICATIONS. I'M GRATEFUL TO OUR EMPLOYEES FOR THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THIS DECISION. IT IS HELPING US CONTINUE TO DELIVER FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN. IT'S A HUGE IMPACT ON OUR BUDGET. AND AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK OUR EMPLOYEES FOR THEIR UNDERSTANDING WITH THIS CUT. ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IS THAT WE ENDED RETIREE HEALTH CARE ELIGIBILITY FOR NEW HIRES BEGINNING JANUARY 1ST, 2027.
NOW, THIS DOES NOT IMPACT OUR POLICE. IT DOESN'T IMPACT OUR FIRE. IT IMPACTS OUR NON-BARGAINING EMPLOYEES. SO STARTING JANUARY 1ST, 2027, NEW EMPLOYEES WILL NOT RECEIVE HEALTH CARE BENEFITS UPON RETIREMENT. SO THIS IS A 20 YEARS LATER ISSUE, BUT IT IMPACTS OUR FINANCES. NOW. IT'S A SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS. I'M GRATEFUL TO BINA AND HER TEAM FOR FINDING THIS AND FOR THE NEGOTIATION TEAM TO WORK WITH OUR EMPLOYEES AGAIN, ASKING THEM TO ACCEPT THAT CHANGE FOR THE FUTURE. AND FINALLY, ANOTHER THING THAT WE DID THAT ALLOWED US TO BALANCE THIS BUDGET IS WE HAVE PLANNED CAPITAL INVESTMENTS THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE EVERY WITH. IT'S GREAT TO HEAR ABOUT LILLY AND CHOBANI COMING TO THE LEHIGH VALLEY. IT'S GREAT TO SEE ALL OF THE INVESTMENT IN OUR REGION. ALL OF THAT INVESTMENT MEANS INCREASED DEMAND FOR BUILDING SERVICES AND WHEN WE ARE BUILDING THINGS. AND I SAID BEFORE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN INFRASTRUCTURE HERE IN ALLENTOWN. FROM THOSE IMPORTANT PARKS TO OUR ROADWAYS TO BUILDINGS LIKE A PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING FOR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND SOON A FIRE CENTER, A NEW CENTRAL FIRE STATION FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS. WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THOSE INVESTMENTS. WE'RE JUST GOING TO MAKE THEM THE RIGHT WAY. SO WE TOOK A HARD LOOK AT THE PLANS FOR EACH OF THOSE BUILDINGS. WE TOOK A HARD LOOK AT OUR PLANS FOR ROADS AND PARKS, AND WE MADE SURE THAT THEY WERE RIGHT SIZED. WE MADE SURE THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO
[00:30:03]
CONTINUE TO TO NOT DEFER MAINTENANCE, BUT TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THOSE CHANGES NOW. SO THAT WAS REALLY WHAT THAT WAS. IT. THE 10% WAS A BIG CUT, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO, THROUGH THOSE CUTS, GET OUR EXPENSES DOWN TO THE POINT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO. PRESENT A SMALL TAX INCREASE, ASK FOR OUR RESIDENTS. SO HERE'S THE, THE, THE, THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE BUDGET, THE THING THAT MOST PEOPLE HANG ON. WE'RE GOING TO ASK YOUR AVERAGE TAXPAYER TO PAY ABOUT $1.75 MORE PER MONTH IN PROPERTY TAXES. SO THAT SECOND LARGEST SHARE OF OUR REVENUE THAT COMES FROM PROPERTY TAXES. WE'RE INCREASING IT ON AVERAGE FOR OUR RESIDENTS, ABOUT $1.75 A MONTH, WHICH FOR A $5 CUP OF COFFEE IS ABOUT THAT MUCH LESS COFFEE. SO I THINK, FRANK, THAT'S FOR YOU. YOU'RE A 20 OUNCE GUY. YOU CAN GO DOWN TO 12OZ A COUPLE, A FEW TIMES A MONTH, A LITTLE LESS COFFEE. YOU CAN HANDLE THAT. THERE YOU GO. WAY TO BE. IT'S A IT'S A ABOUT ABOUT $1.75 A MONTH FOR MOST RESIDENTS IN TERMS OF WE'RE ALSO A DONUT CITY. MARY ANN DONUT CITY. IN TERMS OF MARY ANN DONUTS, THAT MEANS 11 DONUTS INSTEAD OF A DOZEN DONUTS. IT'S A. IT'S A SLIGHT REDUCTION IN WHAT OUR RESIDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO BUY WHEN THEY'RE AT THE COUNTER. I THINK THAT WAS A PISTACHIO DONUT, WHICH I'M NOT FOND OF ANYWAY. SO BUT WE'RE ASKING OUR RESIDENTS TO TAKE ON THIS SMALL TAX INCREASE TO HELP US CONTINUE TO DELIVER THE CITY SERVICES THAT MEAN SO MUCH TO OUR RESIDENTS. WE WILL CONTINUE TO DELIVER THOSE SERVICES. I'VE SAID IT BEFORE. THOSE ARE THE THOSE ARE THE SERVICES THAT OUR RESIDENTS DESERVE. OUR RESIDENTS DESERVE PROMPT ATTENTION TO A POTHOLE WHEN THEY REPORT IT AT 301. OUR RESIDENTS DESERVE FIRE. POLICE AND PARAMEDICS THAT SHOW UP IN AN UNBELIEVABLY LOW RESPONSE TIME. WE HAVE ONE OF THE BEST RESPONSE TIMES IN PUBLIC SAFETY ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND THAT'S WHAT OUR RESIDENTS DESERVE. IT CAN AVERT TRAGEDY. WE, OUR RESIDENTS, DESERVE SAFE PLACES TO LIVE, WHERE OUR CODE INSPECTORS AND OUR RENTAL INSPECTORS ARE HOLDING LANDLORDS ACCOUNTABLE. OUR RESIDENTS DESERVE HIGH QUALITY PUBLIC HEALTH. THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT OUR RESIDENTS DESERVE, AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DELIVER THEM. IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH THAT, WE ASKED OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS AND OUR EMPLOYEES TO GIVE SOMETHING UP, AND WE'RE ASKING OUR RESIDENTS TO GIVE SOMETHING AS WELL. IT MEANS THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN OUR PROGRESS.WE'VE MADE TREMENDOUS PROGRESS, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, IN REDUCING VIOLENT CRIME, IN SLOWING TRAFFIC DOWN IN ALLENTOWN TO SAVE LIVES, IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF HOUSING IN OUR CITY, IN INVESTING IN IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR PARKS. EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK, WE'VE MADE TREMENDOUS PROGRESS IN THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN. WE WANT TO KEEP THAT GOING. WE DON'T WANT TO TAKE OUR FOOT OFF THE GAS. WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A TOUGH TIME FOR RESIDENTS, THAT PRICES ARE UP EVERYWHERE AT THE GAS PUMP, AT THE ON YOUR UTILITY BILLS. THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT IMPACT YOU. WE'RE ASKING FOR A VERY SMALL INCREASE. IT'S A 3.81% INCREASE THAT WILL ALLOW US TO CONTINUE TO DELIVER THE HIGHEST QUALITY SERVICES AND CONTINUE TO MAKE ALLENTOWN A PLACE THAT EVERYBODY CAN BE PROUD OF WHEN THEY CALL IT HOME. THE LAST THING I WANT TO SAY TO OUR RESIDENTS, TO THOSE OF YOU ON FACEBOOK PARTICULARLY, YOU CAN LOOK RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE A WEBSITE SET UP WHERE YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE ANNUAL IMPACT WILL BE FOR YOU IN THIS CASE, THIS RESIDENT ON GORDON STREET IS GOING TO PAY ABOUT $15.34 MORE PER YEAR. THAT EQUATES THAT WORKS OUT TO ABOUT $1.27. SO THERE'LL BE UNDER THE AVERAGE $1.27 PER MONTH. I LOOKED UP MINE. I'M GOING TO PAY $4.61 MORE PER MONTH IN PROPERTY TAXES AT MY HOUSE. WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU THAT THAT THIS IS AN ASK THAT WE'RE MAKING OF RESIDENTS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED. AND I DO ASK YOU, I'LL SEE YOU ON THE STREETS. YOU SAW THE PICTURE OF ME IN THE MAYOR'S POP UP. I'M OUT. I'M AVAILABLE ALL THE TIME. I HEAR FROM YOU, I HEAR WHEN YOU LET ME KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT HAPPY ABOUT A TAX INCREASE. I ASK YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AND SEE WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST YOU.
BEFORE. BEFORE YOU, BEFORE. JUST TO DO YOUR BACKGROUND, DO YOUR INFORMATION, AND THEN LOOK
[00:35:01]
AROUND AND SEE HOW GOOD THINGS ARE ACROSS OUR CITY. WHEN, WHEN IT COMES TO THE SERVICES THAT WE DELIVER, BE INFORMED BY THIS. WE ARE THE NEXT STEP IN THIS BUDGET. AFTER YOU FULLY INFORM YOURSELF OF THE REALITY OF THE BUDGET, IS THIS IS A BUDGET THAT IS BEING DELIVERED TO CITY COUNCIL TODAY. THAT'S DUE ON OCTOBER 15TH. CITY COUNCIL HAS MEETINGS SCHEDULED NOW TO DELIBERATE ON THE BUDGET, TO HEAR FROM OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS, TO GO INTO THE DETAILS OF THE BUDGET TO EXPLAIN EXACTLY THE CUTS THAT WE MADE, WHAT WE PLAN TO DO OVER THE COURSE OF 2027.CITY COUNCIL WAS PART OF THIS BUDGET PROCESS. THE WHOLE TIME, WE WERE GRATEFUL FOR THE ATTENDANCE OF MANY OF OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AT COMMITTEE MEETINGS TO REVIEW THE BUDGET IN ADVANCE OF PRINTING. THEY'RE FULLY AWARE, AND I KNOW THAT THIS IS A RESPONSIBLE BUDGET.
IT'S BALANCED. THE SMALL TAX INCREASES, THE RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO. AND I'M ASKING CITY COUNCIL, I KNOW THAT CITY COUNCIL IS THEY'RE READ IN ON THIS BUDGET. THEY'RE AWARE OF WHAT WE'RE ASKING THEM FOR. AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO DELIVER A CITY BUDGET TO OUR RESIDENTS THAT THEY CAN AFFORD, AND THAT THAT CONTINUES THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE IN OUR CITY. SO I'M GOING TO CONCLUDE WITH THAT. I WILL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. I ALSO HAVE, AS I MENTIONED, ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS ARE HERE. SO IF THERE ARE DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, WE CAN ANSWER THOSE AS WELL. BUT I TURN IT OVER TO WFMZ OR THE MORNING CALL. YES, LINDSAY, DOES THIS BUDGET INVOLVE TAKING ANY MONEY FROM THE GENERAL FUND OR RESERVES TO MAKE UP FOR COSTS? WE DID NOT THIS TIME. YEAH, WE BALANCED THE BUDGET COMPLETELY. THIS IS THE DRAFT BUDGET THAT'S BEING DELIVERED TO CITY COUNCIL. THE 3.1 3.81% PROPERTY TAX INCREASE BALANCES THE BUDGET, ALONG WITH A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF CUTS TO DISCRETIONARY DEPARTMENT BUDGETS. YES, ANOTHER ONE. CAN YOU YOU MENTIONED 10% CUTS ACROSS THE BOARD ON CITY DEPARTMENTS. ARE THERE ANY EXAMPLES OF THINGS THAT WERE CUT? I KNOW YOU MENTIONED LIKE THE GLP ONES, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING THAT RESIDENTS MIGHT NOTICE NO LONGER BEING AVAILABLE AS A SERVICE OR ANYTHING? MARK. WHAT WAS ONE OF THE MOST PAINFUL CUTS FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT? WELL, IT WAS A REDUCTION IN FUEL. WE'RE THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE A SOLID CONTRACT IN PLACE WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO STABILIZE OUR FUEL COSTS. SO WE GOT AHEAD OF THE CURVE BEFORE THE PRICES OF FUEL WENT UP WITH HAVING A CONTRACT IN PLACE. HOW ABOUT VICKY? DO YOU HAVE ONE THAT WAS PARTICULARLY NOTEWORTHY? SOME STUDIES AND ANALYSIS THAT WE WERE GOING TO DO TO GATHER MORE INFORMATION TO WRITE FUTURE GRANTS. CHIEF, I WOULD SAY PERSONNEL ALLOTMENT. OUR TOTAL NUMBER OF OFFICERS WAS REDUCED FROM WHAT WAS NOTED AS TWO 32,000 TO 210. THAT WON'T IMPACT CURRENTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE VERY REAL REALITY OF TODAY IS THAT IT'S VERY COMPETITIVE TO GET OFFICERS, AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PUSH FORWARD, TO RECRUIT THE BEST AND STILL HOLD THE LINE ON THE ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS TO GET A GOOD OFFICER. YEAH. I WANT TO ALSO, I FORGOT TO MENTION THIS SIGNIFICANT. AND I THINK THAT WHEN RESIDENTS RECEIVE THEIR TAX BILL IN JANUARY, THEY'RE GOING TO SEE A SMALL INCREASE IN THEIR PROPERTY TAX LINE. THEY WILL SEE ZERO INCREASE IN THEIR TRASH FEE. OH YEAH. YEAH. SO WE HAVE IN FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE INCREASED OUR TRASH FEE TO REMAIN SOLVENT AND THE SOLID WASTE FUND THIS YEAR, THANKS TO SOME VERY GOOD WORK BY OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, THERE WILL BE NO TRASH INCREASE THIS YEAR. SO I THINK THE TRASH FEE IS $740. AND SO IT WILL REMAIN FLAT AT $740 FOR 2027.
YES. ONE MORE. BUT SINCE YOU MENTIONED RIGHTSIZING THE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT LIKE THE FUTURE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE FUTURE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUILDINGS, WHAT WHAT IS RIGHTSIZING THOSE LOOK LIKE? CAN YOU PROVIDE SOME EXAMPLES OF THAT? SO THE INITIAL PLANS THAT WERE PRESENTED BY THE BY ALLY FIVE, WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR CONSTRUCTION MANAGER, WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY PLACES THAT WE COULD TRIM BACK, LIKE A BREAK ROOM HERE, A VERY PRETTY SMALL CHANGES THAT HAVE A MATERIAL IMPACT ON REDUCING THE COST OF THE OVERALL CONSTRUCTION. AND HOW MUCH DOES THAT SAVE THE CITY? DO YOU HAVE A NUMBER? I MEAN, I DON'T THINK WE'RE READY TO ANNOUNCED YET, BUT IT'LL BE SIGNIFICANT. WFM DO YOU GUYS
[00:40:09]
WANT TO JUMP IN? WONDERFUL. WELL, I THANK YOU ALL. I LOOK FORWARD TO TO CITY COUNCIL. I LOOK FORWARD TO A GOOD PROCESS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS TO GET THIS BUDGET PASSED. I WELCOME RESIDENTS TO WEIGH IN AND SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS ABOUT THE BUDGET AND AND JUST THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS, TO THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, TO FRANK AND ESPECIALLY TO THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE FOR BEING GOOD PARTNERS IN THIS WORK. THANKS.* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.