Agenda 11/28/2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

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INTRODUCTION Council's goals and initiatives servc as a document that will steer the major planning initiatives in the City. These goals and initiatives advance the City toward thc Council's future vision of Martinsville that is capturcd in thc City Council Vision Statemcnt. The goals articulated by Council arc not solely the domain of the City Government. The City cannot do it all, and it cannot do it alonc. Inherent in these goals is the notion that all sectors of society have a contribution to makc to the achievcment of a sustainable city. Individuals, groups, voluntary organizations, businesses, health and education scctors, and othcr gmCnlll1cnts. all have a stake in the future or the City of Martins\ilk. ThL'ir actions, COIlllllitIllL'l1h. iI1VcstIllL'nts, and crclli\il\ arL' critical to achic\il1.'2 our cullccli\c g()~I!s. Thcre are many opportunities within the City Government's jurisdiction and fiscal capacity toconlributc to the achievcment ofthc goals: · the City can use "its role as a provider and fund public services; · the City has important policy and rcgulatory functions; and · the City can establish partnerships, influence and facilitate contributions by others. City Govel11ment has many rolcs. The City's taxation and spending powers are important Icvers, but they are also limited~ Significant, positi\!c .contrib.utionstowards the goals are possiblc through innovative and creative ways of using the many opportunities and tools that arc 'available to the City. The roles the City plays, and how it can best contribute, vary considerably and are detcl111ined in thc context of specific City directions. The City directions are about setting priorities - priorities to guide choices about which dircctions to pursuc as a City Govcrnmcnt. This provides a context for considering further priorities around City programs and scrvices and around resource allocations. The City directions together reOect a set of choices and strategies that the City Council deems important but they are not ranked in any particular order. The current plan provides staff with a clear picture of each Council's strategically important issues and its commitment of resources to those issues through integration with the budget. It is the responsibility of the City Manager to present a quarterly and annual achievement report to the City Council and residents of the City of Martinsvi lIe. As part of the annual budget process, departments are expected to provide information as to how department goals link with the strategic initiatives adopted by thc Council. Allocations of funds are linked with how well programs fit with the strategic plan. 2