City Council Picks Top 6 Priorities For 2019-2021 Budget

SANTA MONICA, CA – All seven Santa Monica City Councilmembers participated in workshop activities and listened to staff presentations to identify and vote on the top six priorities for the Fiscal Years 2019-2021 biennial budget at the fourth annual City Council retreat, the city announced last week.

“By prioritizing these areas of work, we can focus our efforts and resources on what matters most to our community,” said Mayor Gleam Davis. “Our new Framework creates a clear and tangible process that uses hard data and measurable outcomes so our sustainable city of wellbeing continues to thrive.”

The Framework is the city's strategic vision, designed to organize efforts around achieving seven key outcome areas: community, economic opportunity, health, learning, place and planet, safety and governance, the press release said.

The Six City Framework Priorities are:

• Affordability
• Keeping Neighborhoods Safe
• Reduce Homelessness
• Climate Change
• Engaged and Thriving Community
• Mobility and Access

The Council also identified six values to "guide, connect and inform the work of the Framework going forward," the press release said. They are:

• Accountability
• Equity
• Inclusion
• Resilience
• Safety
• Stewardship

Over the last six weeks, the city ignited an engagement strategy to listen and learn about the community's priorities. More than 2,800 community members, including residents, employees and business or property owners, shared their top five priorities via a survey. More than 550 staff members also completed the survey.

In April, city staff will present Framework modifications to the council, in line with the values and priorities set at the retreat. A final draft will be presented in early June, and modifications will go into effect as part of the budget which begins on July 1, 2019. Click here for more information on the Framework.

To view City Council’s full discussion and decision on the six framework priorities, watch it on YouTube or on the City’s website. Visit Council Retreat Staff Report for more information about items discussed at the retreat.

Photos courtesy of the City of Santa Monica