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<br />~iO
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<br />TUESDAY
<br />
<br />JUNE 22, 1976
<br />
<br />I have stated previously that, as early as fiscal '72, the
<br />city arrived at the point where normal growth of the tax base
<br />became insufficient to pay for the yearly growth in operating
<br />expenses, and Council began using windfalls from split-tax
<br />billing money and Revenue Sharing Funds, and depleting the
<br />electric department surplus in order to balance the budget.
<br />
<br />Last year this Council began to deal realistically with the
<br />budget by a combination of raising taxes and cutting expenses.
<br />
<br />During the last few weeks Council cut $186,000 expenses; however,
<br />next year's budget is balanced by using a $257,000 increased
<br />transfer from the Electric Department to the General Fund over
<br />this year, plus $160,000 of APCO refund money, a tpta; pf
<br />$417,000 NEW revenues. And my concern is, where will new revenues
<br />come from next year, and the year after, to fund the yearly growth
<br />in operating expenses?
<br />
<br />It seems to me that Council is moving in the right direction by
<br />cutting expenses, and especially by continually bringing the
<br />issues to the attention of the citizens through open discussion,
<br />but I feel it is important to state that, while we are showing
<br />progress, the city financial problems are not solved. In the
<br />coming years, if the population continues to decline, if state and
<br />federal regulations continue to force financial burdens on us, if
<br />our expenses continue to grow faster than the tax base, it may be
<br />that serious consideration will have to be given to drastically
<br />reducing services. But, all of this will be discussed out in the
<br />open as it has in the past, and Council welcomes constructive
<br />suggestions at any time from the citizens.
<br />
<br />Council acknowledged receipt of a report from the Special Citizens Committee,
<br />
<br />recently appointed by City Manager Noland (by authorization of Council - see
<br />
<br />minutes of Council's meeting of May 25, 1976) to study the draft of a Dog-Leash
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<br />Law or ordinance presented by City Attorney Worthy at said May 25th meeting
<br />
<br />and, also, to receive citizen in.put thereon, with the "majority" report of
<br />
<br />said committee recommending the adoption by Council of the City Attorney's draft
<br />
<br />with certain revisions thereto; whereupon motion, duly seconded and unanimously
<br />
<br />carried, Council unanimously adopted the recommended Dog-Leash Law or ordinance,
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<br />thus amending Section 3-9 of the City Code, effective September 1, 1976, as
<br />
<br />follows, meanwhile expressing appreciation to the committee for its study of
<br />
<br />this matter and, also, to the many citizens who participated therein:
<br />
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