Budget Priorities
An ongoing discussion of budget priorities and city functions.
The first priority of local government is public safety. Everything else is secondary. The degree of secondary is, however, subject to debate.
We have maintained a healthy municipal reserve over the years. Palmdale has had a policy of "putting the money on the streets" to provide quality programs, services and facilities for its residents. We built the programs, facilities and a lifestyle Palmdale residents have demanded and grown accustomed to, and it was an investment in our community, with each success building on the next.
At one time, the area that is now Lancaster was perceived to be the center of population and economic growth in the Antelope Valley. Naturally, the County chose to consolidate much of its services there. The courts, library, sheriff station, welfare offices, senior center, and other county offices were centered there. In addition, 2 tax supported public hospitals, High Desert County Hospital at Mira Loma, and the Antelope Valley Health Care District Hospital, as well as a community college were built.
As population in the Palmdale area grew, and the city eventually incorporated, it became obvious that the county was not in the financial or political frame of mind to expand services in the high desert. In fact, many county facilities were closed or re-tasked to other uses.
In Palmdale, we found it unacceptable to send our children to neighboring cities for the county library, or our seniors on cross-valley bus rides to access the services and meals at the senior center, or our citizens down below for legal redress because the county wouldn't build long-promised court facilities. Therefore, as funds allowed, and often by partnering with the community, we built a senior center and we are on track to building a newer, state of the art senior center. We built a Cultural Center and a Library, and when the community outgrew them, we expanded the Cultural Center and built a Youth Library. We even expanded their hours of operation, because we could afford to. We built a courthouse, until the county finally built one, then reconfigured it to provide higher education to valley residents and fulfill a void in post graduate work, especially for our aerospace industry with our Aero Institute and Palmdale Institute of Technology, and purchased research equipment to serve our local and visiting scientists.
We expanded our Park and Rec's facilities and programs, providing programs for toddlers, teens, adults and seniors. We created a Community Theater for the arts, music and visual arts, and created award winning festivals. We've built pools, amphitheaters and a water park, and new multi-purpose rec centers.
When the earthquake cut us off from LA, we established a temporary train platform, which eventually became a state-of-the-art multi-modal Transportation Center, which continues to expand. We bulldozed slums, drove out the thugs, and built the beautiful Poncitlan Square, home of the popular Thursday Night on the Square, and built quality senior housing, dispelling the critics that said nobody would ever come downtown unless they had to. We helped build a hospital, two new fire stations and a sheriff station.
In retrospect, could we have squirreled more away? Maybe, if the investments didn't tank like the rest of the worlds (look at your own 401K). Maybe we could have more money to continue to subsidize Park, Rec and arts programs, especially for non-residents and adults. Maybe we could keep development related employees on the payroll even though the development stopped. Maybe we wouldn't be considering shortening library hours and reducing programs. But on the other hand, that library wouldn't have been there, there wouldn't have built the facilities to run the programs, and we wouldn't be having this discussion!
So now the issue at hand is, how do we keep programs operating, how do we keep facilities open, how do we maintain the pressure on criminals and maintain a quality of life for our residents while we weather this world-wide economic downturn. The economy has already forced other cities into insolvency, while others burn through their reserves like Sherman through Georgia, all the while praying for a bailout or speedy turnaround before they are in the headlines. We chose to confront the issue early, head-on, and honestly with our residents, and let them weigh in on the solutions.
A community's identity can be defined by the quality of life of its residents, and by the depth and scope of the programs and services it provides to achieve that quality of life.
I for one have chosen not to get into the beauty contest debate on budget issues. Rather, I have taken the approach of analyzing the depth and extent that the stroke of the brush reaches for each of these line items. Instead of merely looking at how much we could save if a program were cut, I have asked for the big picture on the suggested cuts: what is the total cost of the item; how much does it generate; how much do we make or do we subsidize it. Business calls it a Profit and Loss Analysis.
In some cases there is a huge cost to the city, for example with the Fall Festival. Other program revenues are short by maybe 10 or 20 percent. Could we make that up by adjusting the program vs dumping it? Maybe. That is what I have been focusing on.
Why do we continue to heavily subsidize non-city residents that attend our recreation programs? We shouldn't. I have repeatedly called for charging non-residents the fully charged rate for the program costs. In addition, why are non-residents getting in free to concerts in the amphitheater our residents paid for? They shouldn't.
For speedy identification, I have asked that we create a Palmdale Resident ID Card, to provide ready access or discounts to programs, facilities, venues and concerts to legal city residents. They could obtain THE CARD at city offices and park and rec facilities, and at a booth at festivals and concerts throughout the year by showing recognized government ID and utility bills. In addition, residency must be determined on actual residence loaction, not the current practice of using ZIP codes! The age old excuse that it is "too much trouble" to determine residency just doesn't wash, especailly with the availability of GPS, the city's own GIS system, and other electronic aids. I can use a computer to determine your lot dimension, sewer size, utility easements, and square footage of your house. We processed hundreds of kids each year for Little League with volunteers and Thomas Guide Maps. Paid staff and computers should be able to handle this simple task, as many participants reside in the unincorporated county "pockets", having resisted annextion for years. There is absolutely no reason for non-residents to receive a discount intended for city residents paying city assessments and taxes! Card purveyors can gear up to provide these in no time; just look at the Stimulus Cards.
A large sign over the gate at the Starlight Concert with a replica of THE CARD and the RESIDENTS ONLY ENTRANCE would direct cardholders and a predetermined number of family members or guests, maybe 4 or 5, through that gate at no charge. Everybody else goes through the other gates and drops a couple bucks in the bucket to get in. Simple, quick, and equitable. THE CARD could get you free parking as well, showing it to the volunteers from the Kiwanis, Scouts, local High Schools, working the lot, and they would get a cut of the parking fees for working it. It's done every day, but we have just chosen not to do it, because we had the money.
Adults, as well, should be covering a higher percentage of the programs they attend, if not the full cost. For example, it might be nice to offer an adult belly dance class, but why should the taxpayers subsidize it? We shouldn't.
In addition, have we explored other income options? I do not believe we have. I believe city facilities, the Playhouse and Amphitheater especially, are not being marketed and utilized to their maximum potential. We must address that.
What about advertising on the bus shelters. I know, I hate it too, but we can dump it later, when we have the money! What about preferred parking passes at the Transportation Center. I'd pay for a guaranteed spot up front.
Are we taking full advantage of grants and sponsorhsips? ...and marketing? I believe we need a staff member designated to this function, with the understanding that their performance and productivity is a condition to maintain that position.
We also need to redirect the funding spent on Sacramento lobbyists to an in-house Legislative Analyst. This position should take a focused approach to the state budget and legislative activities in our state capitol, as well as regularly interface with our Washington lobbyist.
These functions (grants, sponsorships, marketing, legislative tracking) are currently done by various staff members in individual departments. They should be consolidated under a specialist focused on that activity, not as a task to already overburdened staff with other priorities.
These are just a few random ideas. I need to hear your solutions. Yes/No is not a solution.