Mark Weiss City Manager 600 Elm Street San Carlos, CA 94070 Phone: (650) 802-4228 Fax: (650) 595-6728
The Challenge Ahead: A Message from City Manager Mark Weiss
The Challenge Ahead
Last Fall, we shared with you some of the challenges that the City is facing with its budget. With the economy at the top of everyone’s thoughts these days, it seems appropriate to provide you with an update.
The City has cut over 30% of administration and administrative costs, and reduced Public Works by 19%. The Police Department lost seven positions and the Fire Department lost nine positions.
The City continues to look for opportunities to bring the cost of City operations down. This has included agreements at the City of San Carlos and the Belmont-San Carlos Fire Department to reduce retirement benefits for all future employees.
The City and its employees have agreed to lower retiree health benefits for all newly hired, non-sworn Police and Fire employees and to end pay for performance programs for all City employees. While San Carlos is unique among government agencies in San Mateo County in taking such dramatic steps to cut costs, we believe it is the right thing to do as we try to balance City revenues and expenses.
Last summer, the City conducted a survey to better understand residents’ perspectives on local services. We spoke to voters about our funding challenges and asked voters’ opinions about the importance of local programs and services. We found that maintaining the quality of service of Police, Fire, Street Maintenance, as well as Parks and Recreation services were important to voters. These services were so critical that 65% of voters were willing to support a local revenue measure.
We are planning a series of public meetings this Spring to talk with San Carlos residents about our options. We will ask you what level of services you would like to see in the community, whether you would prefer to see more services reduced or eliminated or whether you remain interested in the chance to vote on a potential revenue measure (such as a Sales Tax or Utility Users Tax) in the November 2009 election.
We recognize that these are tough choices to make especially in this economic climate. But we look forward to having these discussions with the community. I am confident that together we will address the challenge ahead.
