CULTURE, COMMERCE, AND COMMUNITY IN VISALIA AND TULARE — T h e H e a r t O f T h e S o u t h V a l l e y
DIRECT FROM WARREN Text by Warren Gubler, Visalia City Councilmember
TIGHTENING OUR BELT
The city council recently adopted a budget of $191,617,670 for fiscal year 2010/2011, and $199,696,500 for 2011/2012. These are the largest budgets to be adopted in the history of Visalia. The main reason for this is that our wastewater treatment plant’s tertiary treatment and water recharge project will cost approximately $80,000,000 spread out over these two budget years. This upgrade was mandated by federal and state regulations, and will be financed for the most part by sewer and wastewater fees and by grants. As part of this upgrade, recycled water that is released by the treatment plant will be delivered to local farming operations in exchange for upstream water which can be placed in ponding basins and put back into our aquifer. I’ve toured this well-managed plant; it is an amazing, modern facility. Much of Visalia’s general funds come from local sales and real property taxes. However, since the peak year of 2007, yearly sales tax revenues are down approximately $5,000,000; real property tax revenues have declined as real property values have dropped. For 2010/2011, this will result in an approximately $2,500,000 deficit in the general fund. The city council is charged with closing that budget gap, which is not an easy thing to do. This is the third year in a row of budget deficits for the city, and in this economy, it is impossible to predict how many more years we will be faced with declining revenues. We can either increase revenues (i.e., higher taxes), or cut expenses. Accordingly, the city council made the tough decision to cut expenses, including cutting city employees’ salaries (which account for approximately 70 percent of our general fund expense). Negotiations with the five unions that represent our city employees have been ongoing from March through October. Through a combination of negotiated agreements and impositions, city staff have taken a four percent pay decrease, together with lower retirement benefits for new hires. The latter will help put the city’s pension plan back on a sound financial footing. Due to these concessions from the employee groups, no lay-offs were required. The city council understands that such cuts are tough on personal and family budgets, and we appreciate our good employees for their willingness to reach a solution through compromise. This will result in budget savings of approximately $1,000,000. The balance of this year’s budget shortfall will be met from our general fund reserves. Unlike our state and federal 28
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governments, our city is fortunate to have such reserves available, but we need to make those reserves stretch as far as possible, not knowing how long the current economic conditions will last. We were all saddened by the news of the recent shooting of Mormon Bishop Clay Sannar. I arrived at the LDS chapel soon after the incident, having been notified promptly by city staff of the occurrence. I found the crime scene to be well-secured by our police officers, who were respectful of the feelings of the witnesses and church members. Our law enforcement officials are to be commended for their quick response, and for bringing a situation that could have easily escalated to a prompt conclusion. Other faith groups in town were also quick to express their concern and offer assistance. I join with the entire community in offering condolences and best wishes to the Sannar family. The Visalia Arts Consortium recently unveiled the winning designs for the bronze plaques to be installed on each of the four corners of the new Santa Fe bridge. Eight Tulare county residents submitted artistic renderings, from which the designs of Dana Lubich were selected. Mr. Lubich’s family has a long history in Visalia. His grandfather, Robert L. Morris, owned businesses located along Mineral King Blvd., and started the first Mobil service station at Mineral King and Mooney Blvd. It is anticipated that these four bronze plaques will be cast and installed by November 2010. The artwork showcases the history of the Santa Fe Railroad and State Highway 198, as well as our agricultural heritage. Be sure to take special note of these plaques once they are installed. Mark your calendar for Saturday, November 6, 2010, for a luncheon at the Convention Center sponsored by the Tulare County Symphony League. This is a fundraiser patterned after “Dancing with the Stars” where local “VIPs” are paired with celebrity professional dancers to raise money for a good cause. The VIPs dancing this year include Larry Benevento, Kathleen Remillard, Supervisor Allen Ishida, Florence Kabot, Laurie Tiesiera, and yours truly. Come join the fun. For reservations, call 627-9002. If you have questions or topics regarding the city which you would like to have addressed in future articles, please email Warren at wgubler@ci.visalia.ca.us, or call (559) 7134400 x 3313.