In it’s own narrative section (pages 16-18), Decatur’s Active Living division discusses ways it will be cutting back (aka identifying “cost savings”) in the coming year, including finding more efficient options for large program registration events, reducing the use of paper and office supplies, and looking for more partner opportunities to share costs.

For the 09-10 budget year, the Active Living Division’s four budget priorities focus mainly on maintenance and repairs, along with a new storage building.  Here’s the quick rundown.  Full descriptions for each priority can be found after the jump.

1. Priority One: Storage building with restroom for Ebster Field.
2. Priority Two:Fencing for the small softball field at Oakhurst Park and a bin for special infield dirt material for both Oakhurst softball fields.
3. Priority Three:Re‐paint and fix cracks at the heavily used basketball courts at Oakhurst Park, Ebster Park, and Mead Road Park.
4. Priority Four: New fencing at the McKoy Skate Park.

Read the rest of this entry »

After the jump, you’ll find details on the top four budget priorities for Decatur’s Community & Economic Development Department (pages 10-15 of the Budget Narrative doc).  Here’s a top level summary…

1. Priority One: Complete the Update of the City’s Website.
2. Priority Two: Partner with the Tourism Bureau and the Decatur Downtown Development Authority to target advertising and marketing to attract visitors, support programs to retain existing retail and restaurant businesses and maintain clean, attractive and inviting commercial districts
3. Priority  Three: Develop A Community Arts Master Plan.
4. Priority Four: Purchase new, [small electric truck] for Parking Enforcement.

The Arts Master Plan description sounds especially intriguing.  It specifically mentions the new, centrally located auditorium at DHS and Agnes Scott’s desire to “make certain” that in expanding and improving their own arts facilities, they incorporate the community’s arts needs and identify “possible opportunities for developing joint-use off-campus facilities”.

The mind tingles with anticipation to know what these potential “off-campus facilities” could be.

Read the rest of this entry »

Playing a little catch up here this morning.  Luckily the AJC is helping me out!

The city commission officially voted on the coming fiscal year’s budget on Monday, holding the millage rate at 13.035.

Here’s the money quote from the AJC article (pun intended)…

The spending plan includes money to renovate the main firehouse, redesign the city’s website and upgrade equipment in municipal parks.

The city will also begin longer-term initiatives next year, including a strategic plan for the city, a proposed urban agriculture program and a master for the Beacon Complex that now houses the city’s police department.

As always, while DeKalb and Atlanta garner front-page stories with dramatic budget cuts and tax hikes, prudent ol’ Decatur can’t even get on the front page of the Metro section, even though its the standout in this situation.  A city that saved during the economic boom and can now temper changes by dipping into reserves seems unheard of in the 21st century.

So, I’d like to give a standing ovation to everyone involved who had the foresight to save in a world driven to spend, spend, spend.  You deserve it!

As the AJC reminded us this morning, in addition to all the other fun things planned for the city commission meeting this evening, tonight is the first of two city budget hearings.

You’ve had a couple weeks to peruse the document, now it’s time to give your feedback.

The topline summary is that  the city plans to keep the millage rate unchanged and use money from its reserve fund to make up the $600,000 difference.

7:30p City Hall.  (Might want to leave your wigs at home for this one)

As popular as a new Harry Potter installment, city of Decatur residents have been gearing up for weeks to get their hands on a copy of Decatur’s latest and greatest 2009-2010 budget (pdf).

Residents from around the city lined up at midnight Tuesday in front of city hall to be the first to get their hands on a copy.  Many were dressed as their favorite city employee, with many men donning wigs.  “I had planned to sport a pair of “Hugh Saxon glasses” said a man in a purple cardigan who refused to give his name, “but when I heard that my neighbor was doing something similar, I went the Linda Harris route.”

When the real Linda Harris appeared on the city hall steps a couple minutes after midnight, carrying around 20 copies of the 200+ page document, cheers from the anxious throng echoed throughout the town like recorded birds-of-prey atop 1 West Courthouse Square.

After getting over the intial shock of seeing so many grown men in wigs, Harris regained her composure and spoke to the crowd.  “With much anticipation, I present to you the 2009-10 budget!  If you pre-ordered a copy online, please stand in a line to the right.  After you receive your copy, please proceed in an orderly fashion to the commission meeting room where Andrea Arnold will be giving out autographs  For those who didn’t pre-order, I’m sorry to say that we’re completely sold out.”

And with that residents got into their respective lines and upon receiving their copy thumbed immediately to page one.  Some proceeded inside, while others made a beeline to their cars.  “I’m going to be up all night reading this!” shouted a man in a light brown wig as he jumped into his Toyota Prius and sped off down North McDonough.

Just another day in the life.

After seeing the AJC article about Decatur being one of three cities with increased tax values, I was curious about specifics.  At tonight’s City Commission meeting, City Manager Peggy Merriss laid those details out on the table, literally and figuratively.

The city lost 4 million in property values in the past fiscal (?) year, but gained 30 million from new construction.

Even so, the city will use 1.3 million over the next two years to cover the gap between revenues and expenditures, without cutting programs or raising the millage.

I believe I heard someone say that the full budget will be available online this coming Wednesday.

Over on his blog, Mayor Floyd recaps discussions at the city commission’s recent annual retreat with staff and talks about the city’s challenges in the coming year/s.

Not surprisingly, the economy is top-of-mind right now and the mayor hints that we may need to start making cutbacks in our budget, even though we’re currently in pretty good shape.

In addition to that, he highlights four key issues that “will consume a majority of the hours available” in the coming year.

Its the mayor, so its obviously must-read.

h/t: InDecatur

According to a note in the AJC about the mayor’s Tuesday State of the City Address, a recent audit showed that Decatur has nearly $7 million in reserves “or about 40 percent of its operating budget”.

What does that mean?  That unlike Atlanta, DeKalb County and a ton of other local governments that have been living paycheck to paycheck, we’ve got a nice cushion to support us while we figure out how to balance a budget with less state revenue coming in.

I don’t know about you, but I certainly prefer well thought-out cutbacks to panic-stricken, knee-jerk cutbacks.

Seems like “progressive” Decatur is looking a bit more fiscally conservative these days.

Though we may all gripe and bicker from time to time, apparently we nearly all agree on one thing…that Decatur is “an excellent/good place to live”.

In the 2008 citizen survey, 97% of residents rated Decatur as either an “excellent” or “good” place to live. That’s up 5 points from 2006! Can’t go much higher than 97%…maybe the next step is only looking at the “excellent” catagory.

Results of the Decatur Citizen Survey (in which I participated) are scattered throughout the 2008 proposed budget “expenditures” section. (To view the full budget click here)

Some other notable scores…

95% of citizens rate Decatur’s quality of life as “excellent” or “good” (up 6 points from 2006)

87% of citizens rate Decatur’s quality of services as “excellent” or “good” (up 3 points from 2006)

96% of people in the city would recommend living here “to someone who asks”

83% of citizens rate Decatur as a “place to work” as “excellent” or “good” (up 33 points from 2006)

77% of citizens rate Decatur’s quality new development as “excellent” or “good” (up 15 points from 2006)

96% of citizens feel “very” or “somewhat” safe in their neighborhoods during the day (down 1 point from 2006)

And that’s just a smattering…take a look at the whole document to see the results. Nearly everything is up vs. two years ago.

Some areas that still need improvement (according to citizen opinion)

Affordable, quality childcare options – though its up 34 points vs. 2006, its still only at 52%

Quality of land use, zoning and planning services – up 25 points vs. 2006, but could be improved at 62%.

Quality of storm drainage system – up 28 points from 2006, but still at only 61%.

Sidewalk maintenance – up 17% but still only at 59%. This should continue to improve as bond money ear-marked for sidewalks is spent. There’s still a lot left.

Value of services for taxes paid – remained steady, up only a point from 2006 to 64%. (might want to complain to DeKalb County for withholding HOST money)