From:
To: City Council
Subject: Budget, etc.
Date: Friday, March 15, 2024 12:33:48 PM
Team,
I know some tough choices will need to be made regarding the budget. It is important to me that public institutions act in a fiscally conservative manner. Thank you in advance for putting in the hard work.
Please consider looking outside the box for savings. Many organizations that receive funding from the city can likely undertake their own (additional) fundraising to make ends meet. I also encourage you to consider things like the police force and other services. For example, can the city sell some of its police vehicles and instead rely on walking beats or bicycles? This will help with climate objectives and reduce costs.
What about raising revenue through parking tolls? This will help climate objectives by reducing car travel and raise revenue from those who refuse to dispense with their cars. If businesses object, maybe they would be willing to pay a fee to offset the parking subsidy that the city currently gives (in the form of free parking).
How about a congestion / smog toll for vehicles entering downtown? Or perhaps putting a city toll on the major thoroughfares that chop up the downtown area? How about allowing residential above all downtown businesses? This will create additional tax revenue.
Warm Regards,
Gavin Waters