City of Santa Rosa
Council Priority Setting Workshop
February 19, 2025
The JGA Facilitation Team
Greg Devereaux, JD
Senior Facilitator
Jacob Green, MPA
Principal-in-Charge / Lead Facilitator
Strategic Planning
Teambuilding
Training
Goal Setting Agenda
1. Welcome (Completed)
2. Budget Findings & Approach – Alvarez & Marsal (Completed)
3. State of the Budget
4. Roadmap to Fiscal Success
5. Vision
6. “Basic Services” Exercise
7. Two-Year Goals Solidification
8. Next Steps – Budget Adoption
Today’s Purpose – Just a Start!
Council direction to staff for
budget preparation.
Evolution
not Revolution
Council
Community
Goals/Objectives & Budget
City Manager
Exec Team
Staff
Building Organizational Alignment
Strategic Plan Roadmap
Council Workshop
Vision, Goals &
Objectives
Public Adoption of
Vision, Goals &
Objectives
City Manager
Performance
Evaluation
01 02
03 04
05 Budget Developed
& Adopted
Work Planning;
Dashboards/Measurement
State of the Budget
Budget Best Practice Policies (Examples)
1. Match ongoing expenditures with ongoing revenues.
2. Do not use one-time funds to fund ongoing operational costs.
3. Continue to prepare multi-year forecasts of financial operations for the General Fund.
4. Regularly update fees and charges utilizing full direct and indirect costs.
5. Maintain adequate reserves.
6. Identify projected staffing, operation maintenance, and utility costs as part of the approval process for each capital project. Do not budget a capital project unless there are reasonable expectations that resources will be available to pay for the project.
Updated Vision
Vision Statement
A Vision Statement describes in graphic terms
where you as an organization want to see
yourselves in the future.
An image of the future we seek to create.
Guiding beacon.
Santa Rosa Vision – Current Statement
“Santa Rosa -
Leading the North Bay”
Vision – Proposed Statement
“Santa Rosa will be the North
Bay’s leader for innovation,
economic development, and
fiscal success”
Basic Services Solidification
Basic Services
What do you consider to be the
fundamental/basic services?
Basic Services – Prioritization Time!
Goals Update
Goals Shift
Rank Order Existing Goal Order Proposed Goal Order
1 Promote Citywide Economic
Development
Achieve and Maintain Budgeting Excellence and
Fiscal Sustainability
2 Achieve and Maintain Fiscal
Sustainability
Invest in the Development and Maintenance of the
City’s Infrastructure
3 Create an Environment that Supports
Staff and Operational Excellence Promote Citywide Economic Development 4 Invest in the Development and
Maintenance of the City’s
Infrastructure
Foster a Safe, Healthy, and Inclusive Community
5 Plan for and Encourage Housing for All
and Reduce Homelessness
Plan for and Encourage Housing for All and Reduce
Homelessness
6 Address Climate Change Create an Environment that Supports Staff and Operational Excellence
7 Foster a Safe, Healthy, and Inclusive
Community Address Climate Change
Goal 1: Achieve and Maintain Fiscal Sustainability
and Budgeting Excellence
Objectives
1. Adopt budget best practice policies (see previous slide)
2. Align Budgeting Strategies with City Priorities
3. Enhance revenue diversification
4. Reduce debt dependency and strengthen credit ratings
5. Improve financial transparency and public engagement Objectives Brainstorm
Next Steps
1. Staff builds objectives based on Council
Vision & Goals
2. Budget Adoption
3. Staff returns with work plans