2005-12-05 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

493 Mr. Schilling agreed with Mr. Lynch's suggestion, but said he would rather see it set at a 5% increase. Mr. Schilling said everyone in the City has to deal with fixed costs and increasing taxes are not sustainable for a lot of people. Mr. Caravati said he is afraid this ignores the reality of what is it we are going to cut. He said Council needs to develop a priority list of what is going to be cut. He said he cannot support having staff do our work for us. He said Council has to have a discussion in public about what they are going to cut. Ms. Hamilton said we are looking at millions of dollars of infrastructure improvements, including fire and other public safety needs, and asked where the money is going to come from. She said she understands where this is coming from, but said she is trying to create flexibility. Dr. Brown agreed with Ms. Hamilton and Mr. Caravati. He said he would like to see what it would take to not increase taxes more than 5% or 6%, but would first like to see it based on priorities and what our needs are in this budget. He said he would also like to know how much we would have to find to get to Mr. Lynch's 6% amount. He said he would not support this as a guideline, but would like to see what it would take to meet it and what would need to be cut. Mr. Lynch said it is important to keep in mind that a 6% increase is not a cut, it is how much we grow the budget. He said he does not want to see big increases in health, retirement and incarceration again. He said last year some revenues were down, but they appear to be up this year. Mr. Schilling says this goes back to guideline #2 (develop operational budgets within project available revenues), which says to him to spend whatever comes in. He said increases in assessments are not going to continue forever and we need to begin to prepare for it now. Dr. Brown, Mr. Caravati and Ms. Hamilton did not support adding a guideline to increase real taxes no more than 6%, and Mr. Lynch and Mr. Schilling supported adding the guideline. The budget guidelines, as amended, were approved by the following vote. Ayes: Dr. Brown, Mr. Caravati, Ms. Hamilton, Mr. Lynch. Noes: Mr. Schilling. The proposed budget calendar was approved by the following vote. Ayes: Dr. Brown, Mr. Caravati, Ms. Hamilton, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Schilling. Noes: None. Mr. Caravati made a motion to move the ordinance rezoning property on Monticello Avenue and Sonoma Street, which he removed from the consent agenda, up for consideration. Mr. Schilling said he has no problem with that, but only if we afford that benefit to everyone in the future. Mr. Lynch seconded the motion, and said we should be judicious in how we apply this. Council agreed to consider the rezoning at this time by the following vote. Ayes: Dr. Brown, Mr. Caravati, Ms. Hamilton, Mr. Lynch. Noes: Mr. Schilling. ORDINANCE: REZON1NG OF 625 MONTICELLO AVENUE AND 709 SONOMA STREET FROM R-1S TO B-1 Mr. Caravati said he removed the ordinance from the consent agenda because it needs to be amended to reflect the fact that the applicant has removed the request to rezone 709 Sonoma Street.