Council members,

The timing of last week's revelation that our projected, serious budget
shortfall is instead a significant surplus is most disturbing. Two
months ago, citizens just barely passed a new utilities tax based on
the city's dire warnings of another round of service cuts; in the first
meeting of the current council the tax was set at its maximum
percentage rate on staff recommendation.

Most of us are keenly aware of the degrading of our play areas, city
landscaping, paving, etc. as money was withheld all year from the
maintenance of our facilities, indicating a serious need for funds.
That a quarter of the surplus was "unanticipated" real estate and sales
tax is hard to believe - our local economics are not secret and real
estate values are available monthly on the web. To go from a $2.9M
deficit to $3.7M surplus is a swing of 20% of the whole budget.

Please plan to address this at the next council meeting. This is not a
minor issue, and as much as any issue in our city deserves a full
public airing in the name of open, responsible government.

Henry Riggs
Callie Lane
Received on Fri Jan 19 09:07:35 2007