Good Monday,

Having returned from a week long getaway to Italy, I am fully refreshed and ready to hit the development of the City's annual budget full speed. See the city manager's report for details and the schedule for the budget process. Stay tuned through May and June as we complete this important process.

Briefly, the City Council must make some tough decisions as we face continued cuts from the States Local Government.

Stay tuned as we go through the very thorough process of staff recommendations including a potential new "fee for service."  As the first step in the budget process, each council member reviewed each department's proposed budget with every department head.  The next step was a review of projected property values upon which millage is based and then projections of expected revenues for the coming year based on the County Assessor's projections.   

Once we understand each department's needs and the potential income, which is where we are today, we begin to match revenues with needs and either cut further or find additional revenue.  

Unfortunately, three areas for controlling revenue are out of bounds.  The first is that our ability to raise taxes is regulated by the state so we have little latitude in that area, so new fees for specific services is likely the best way to balance needs with revenues. Second, we have no control over state allocations though we lobby each year for the promise to be fully funded.  And the third is maintaining state assets like stormwater systems, deteriorating sidewalks, state rights of way that need landscaping and road repairs.  

Notwithstanding the state does not take care of its assets, City Council has consistently been committed to maintaining these assets although they are not "our" responsibility. Since, however, they are generally a matter of public safety we cannot ignore them.  If we have to go the route of creating a new fee, I believe we should call it a "state assets maintenance fee" with all of the revenue dedicated specifically toward that end. I have not yet consulted with my colleagues on council so this is just my sense as of today.

As always, there is a lot going on around town including is this weekend's taste of Beaufort.

Please stay tuned to our budget process as the budget is the principal driver of what gets done in the city.

I am thankful that our wonderful city council moved forward on a number of important items, not the least of which are initiatives to address concerns about the Northwest Quadrant and the new Arts District. I want to thank them all and most importantly Mayor Pro Tem Mike McFee whose steady hand was on the wheel.

Have a wonderful week,

PS:  If you sent me an email to which I was unable to respond because I was away I plan to spend the day plowing through them.  If they are urgent please send them again so they will get to the front of the queue.

THANKS FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE YOUR MAYOR. IT IS A JOB I NOT ONLY TAKE SERIOUSLY BUT AN ASSIGNMENT I LOVE SINCE OUR FOCUS IS ON MAKING BEAUFORT AN EVEN BETTER PLACE TO LIVE.