Woodland Park 2019 Budget Season Kicks Off

Will discussions rival the debate fury of last year?

~ by Bob Volpe ~

The Woodland Park City Council kicked off the 2019 budget season with its first public workshop last week.

If history repeats itself, the season could be ripe with much debate regarding the fiscal blueprint for the city next year; and more specifically, how much money should be saved and what projects should receive top priority. Last year, these discussions got quite contentious and heated with much division among the elected leaders and head officials. But with a vastly new council, it’s uncertain if this same heated atmosphere will occur.   

newly-appointed City Manage Darrin Tangeman

Before the meeting began, Mayor Neil Levy introduced and welcomed newly-appointed City Manager Darrin Tangeman, who was in attendance. Tangeman gave a brief statement to council on his appointment to the city boss job. He said, “It’s good to be here. I’m happy for this opportunity to get my feet wet. I want to try and meet every one of you.”

The meeting got down to business with the second quarter report from Finance Director Mike Farina. Farina painted a rosy picture of expenditures and revenue for the city’s second quarter.

He fielded questions on the success of the aquatic center, basically saying the city would have to continue to subsidize the center, but that it is too early to get a handle on how much the center will need to be helped financially by the city.

Parks and Recreation Director Cindy Keating gave a brief report on sales of passes and the operating expenses of the center. She noted that the center will be closed August 24 through September 3 for warranty work and said there will be an anniversary birthday bash at the center on October 28 to celebrate the center’s first year of operation.

Farina then directed council to establish goals and objectives for the upcoming budget discussion.

Mayor Pro Tem Val Carr presented a detailed list of objectives he collected from staff for the budget. Carr’s list included the following:  a 10 percent  incentive efficiency (cost savings) program toward city staff ; a council chambers electronic voting/tote system; upgrades to eliminate the dual vendor portions of our financial system;  security improvements at all city facilities to address safety issues and have more support and upgrades for police; achieve a 20 percent reserve by the end of 2019 and 30 percent by 2025; a program of regular citizen meet & greets to hear our citizens’ issues and ideas; reduce the sales tax by 1 percent by adding sunset clause to the school tax. 

The rest of council chimed in with their hopes for project objectives for next year’s budget talks.

Eventually, council came to a consensus that each member of council should provide Farina with a list of objectives that can be discussed at the next budget workshop.

The final budget doesn’t have to be approved until early December, but much of the groundwork is handled during the next few months.

 

 

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Woodland Park 2019 Budget Season Kicks Off

Will discussions rival the debate fury of last year?

Bob Volpe
The Woodland Park City Council kicked off the 2019 budget season with its first public workshop last week.

If history repeats itself, the season could be ripe with much debate regarding the fiscal blueprint for the city next year; and more specifically, how much money should be saved and what projects should receive top priority. Last year, these discussions got quite contentious and heated with much division among the elected leaders and head officials. But with a vastly new council, it’s uncertain if this same heated atmosphere will occur.

Before the meeting began, Mayor Neil Levy introduced and welcomed newly-appointed City Manager Darrin Tangeman, who was in attendance. Tangeman gave a brief statement to council on his appointment to the city boss job. He said, “It’s good to be here. I’m happy for this opportunity to get my feet wet. I want to try and meet every one of you.”

The meeting got down to business with the second quarter report from Finance Director Mike Farina. Farina painted a rosy picture of expenditures and revenue for the city’s second quarter.

He fielded questions on the success of the aquatic center, basically saying the city would have to continue to subsidize the center, but that it is too early to get a handle on how much the center will need to be helped financially by the city.

Parks and Recreation Director Cindy Keating gave a brief report on sales of passes and the operating expenses of the center. She noted that the center will be closed August 24 through September 3 for warranty work and said there will be an anniversary birthday bash at the center on October 28 to celebrate the center’s first year of operation.

Farina then directed council to establish goals and objectives for the upcoming budget discussion.

Mayor Pro Tem Val Carr presented a detailed list of objectives he collected from staff for the budget. Carr’s list included the following:  a 10 percent  incentive efficiency (cost savings) program toward city staff ; a council chambers electronic voting/tote system; upgrades to eliminate the dual vendor portions of our financial system;  security improvements at all city facilities to address safety issues and have more support and upgrades for police; achieve a 20 percent reserve by the end of 2019 and 30 percent by 2025; a program of regular citizen meet & greets to hear our citizens’ issues and ideas; reduce the sales tax by 1 percent by adding sunset clause to the school tax.

The rest of council chimed in with their hopes for project objectives for next year’s budget talks.

Eventually, council came to a consensus that each member of council should provide Farina with a list of objectives that can be discussed at the next budget workshop.

The final budget doesn’t have to be approved until early December, but much of the groundwork is handled during the next few months.