AOV E-Newsletter May 2, 2008
In this issue:
- Ventura's City Council Invites You to Discuss Ventura's Funding Priorities
- Deputy Mayor Bill Fulton: Help Us Balance the Budget
- City Council Meetings Now Start at 6 p.m
- Acclaimed Economist and Author Names Ventura Among Best Regions in New Book: Who's Your City?
- Nominations for Mayor's Arts Awards due May 30
- City Manager Blog: State budget deficit soars
Ventura's City Council Invites You to Discuss Ventura's Funding Priorities
The Ventura City Council invites you to share a conversation about where your household budget and the city budget meet. This is an opportunity to help us understand your priorities for City services.
Let's get together and talk about money matters. To set up a meeting with a Council member for your community organization, neighborhood group or club, please call Anne Hallock at 805-658-4739 or e-mail ahallock@cityofventura.net.
Deputy Mayor Bill Fulton: Help Us Balance the Budget
Deputy Mayor Bill Fulton discusses current city issues and explains his own positions on matters before the City Council in his personal blog. He recently asked for the community's help as he and fellow Councilmembers work to balance the City's budget:
"It's not fun being on the City Council these days. You all know we getting hammered for charging new fees – the 911 fee, the weed abatement inspection fee. But we're also in the middle of making very tough decisions about how to cut our spending as well. Nobody's hammered us about cutting their services yet – but I'm sure that will come soon enough.
I want to emphasize, however, that we're still in the process of figuring out what programs and services to cut in order to balance the budget. We haven't really made any decisions yet, though the staff has made some recommendations. So I'd like to ask for your help. I'd like you to let me know where you think we can cut."
City Council Meetings Now Start at 6 p.m.
On Monday, April 14, the Ventura City Council approved a motion to begin meetings at 6 p.m. The regularly scheduled City Council meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers in Ventura City Hall on Monday, May 5.
Acclaimed Economist and Author Names Ventura Among Best Regions in New Book: Who's Your City? How the Creative Economy is Making Where to Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life
Acclaimed economist and author Richard Florida cites Ventura as among the best regions to live in the Unites States in his new book, Who's Your City? How the Creative Economy is Making Where to Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life.
The Ventura region – representing the core cities of Ventura, Oxnard and Thousand Oaks – was ranked one of the five best medium-sized regions in the United States for the following: overall best place for families with children, overall best place for gay and lesbian families, and overall best place for retirees (over 65 years).
Nominations for Mayor's Arts Awards due May 30
The City of Ventura Cultural Affairs Division, on behalf of Mayor Christy Weir, welcomes nominations for the fourth annual Mayor's Arts Awards, recognizing the artistic achievements and contributions to the cultural community by City residents, artists, educators, organizations and business leaders. Further goals of the program include cultivating greater visibility and understanding of the value of the arts, as well as building new leadership and developing new patrons for the arts.
City Manager Blog: State budget deficit soars
Ventura City Manager Rick Cole gives immediate insight into breaking news. In his latest post, he examines the State's fiscal crisis and how cities like Ventura are taking the lead in financial sustainability:
"With gas and food prices on the rise and home values continuing to drop, more bad news from Sacramento: Governor Schwarzenegger is now warning that the coming year's deficit is now estimated at $20 billion, up from the $10, $14, and $16 billion numbers he floated as the economy deteriorated.
Cities used to be first in line to take a hit from bad news at the State Capitol. Twice in the past twenty years, Governors and Legislators have teamed up to grab local revenues to solve State budget deficits. We are still paying the price of those "take aways." But cities banded together to force the State to put a protection measure in front of voters, which easily passed. It isn't iron-clad, but it at least protects local property and sales tax revenue from being permanently diverted (the State can still "borrow" money from cities -- but has to pay it back.)"
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Masthead Art: katherinemcguire.com