Mayor Gonzales Releases Budget Proposal
Focus on efficiency, balanced budget, critical priorities and continuing
commitments to strong neighborhoods
Correction Advisory: The San Jose City Council will consider the mayor's
March budget message at its meeting on Tuesday, March 26, that starts
at 1:30 p.m.
San Jose, CA ---- Building strong and safe neighborhoods
continues to be the focus of budget proposals that San José Mayor
Ron Gonzales has recommended to the City Council for the coming fiscal
year.
Gonzales emphasized that the national and local economic slowdown requires
the continuing commitment to fiscal prudence by the city that has helped
ensure balanced budgets and high quality services in San José.
"In these challenging times, we must do more with less," said
the mayor. "We must continue our efforts to improve efficiencies
in all our operations, but we also will protect critical services for
our neighborhoods and for San Jose families."
Gonzales noted that farsighted budget decisions over the past three years
led to the creation of a $25 million reserve and established a strong
financial foundation in anticipation of the current recession. San José
also is the only large city in California that has a AA+ bond rating,
which reflects the high level of confidence held by the financial community.
"While we seek opportunities to reduce costs, we will continue to
make smart investments that will make our neighborhoods stronger, our
city safer, and our economy prosperous for the future of our community."
In his budget message to the City Council and city administration, Gonzales
set the framework for the preparation of the annual city budget that will
be submitted for review in May. He called upon the city staff to present
strategies and proposals that will achieve priority goals and services
and make recommendations for specific reductions that will result in a
balanced budget.
The mayor outlined his five priorities for securing San José's
future, which include building stronger neighborhoods; remaining the safest
big city in America; achieving schools that sustain community pride; building
better transportation; and sustaining a strong economy
"As we develop our budget this year, we must always focus on the
outcomes for our residents and businesses that achieve these goals,"
he said. "The administration will review all programs and proposals
to ensure that we are consistently working toward our five priorities."
Neighborhood investments remain a high priority in the mayor' budget
proposals. Highlights include:
|
1. Continued commitment to fund affordable housing investments
with redevelopment resources.
|
|
2. Expanding the city's successful anti-graffiti campaign to include
anti-litter efforts to ensure San José neighborhoods are
clean.
|
|
3. Establishment of a "Strong Neighborhood Initiative"
reserve fund to ensure that capital improvements recommended by
residents can be accomplished.
|
|
4. Continued commitment to complete voter-approved park, library,
police, and fire capital projects on time and on budget.
|
|
5. Expansion of the "San José Prepared!"
emergency preparedness program throughout the city to achieve greater
community self-sufficiency in the event of disasters.
|
|
6. A renewed commitment to address the child care crisis in San
José by investing in quality child care facilities, training,
and programs in partnership with schools, businesses, and community
organizations.
|
Each March the mayor makes recommendations to the City Council to provide
direction for the preparation of the annual city budget. The city manager
will release the proposed budget in May for consideration and adoption
by the Council in June after public hearings.
The City Council will consider the mayor's proposed budget guidelines
next week at its regular meeting that starts at 1:30 p.m. (Tuesday, March
26).
The mayor's March budget message can be found on the web at www.sjmayor.org.
# # # # #
| 