Opportunity for Public Input at Budget Workshop on May 21
Discussions of Piedmont’s 2011-2012 Proposed Budget are beginning. The best time to ask questions and provide input will be at the Budget Workshop on Saturday, May 21st at 9 a.m. At the Workshop the proposed budget will be presented in detail by the City Administrator and department heads. The public is welcome to attend and ask questions at the workshop. City Council Members use the opportunity to make inquiries and request additional information of staff in an informal setting. The workshop will take place in the Police Department Emergency Operations Center and will not be videotaped nor on KCOM; attendance is necessary in order to participate in this important process in the development of the budget.
Two additional City Council hearings on the budget will follow the Workshop on June 6 and June 20.
The City Administrator noted that significant pressure on the City’s finances will come from inadequately funded reserves, together with significant new costs, including:
- demand by Oakland for $665,000 – almost double prior voluntary contributions for library services of $350,471 – despite its threatened closure of 15 of 19 libraries.
- pool costs of $380,000 due to the City takeover from a former private volunteer-run organization – despite prior estimates of $127,000 to $327,000.
- sewer replacement fund deficit of $2.8 million ($300,000 from the Crest Road collapse and $2.3 million from new EPA demands) to pay for phases IV, V and VI over the next 3 years. (Phase I, II & III of the 7 phase project have been completed; final phase VII costs have not been shown in the budget.)
- artificial turf installation/replacement for existing and new City sports fields
For questions regarding the budget contact Mark Bichsel, Finance/HR Director, via email at mbichsel@ci.piedmont.ca.us or by phone at 420-3045. See the 2011-2012 Proposed Budget
