Mayor Sanders Urges Public Input on City Budget

Last Monday, June 25, the City Council met in special session to go over the municipal budget one more time. It was, Mayor Joanne Sanders said in a letter to the Press Democrat, "one of the least attended meetings in years."

"Even with the new sales tax, our city remains in a fiscal crisis," she added. In particular she expressed concerned about the half-cent sales tax implemented by by voters in this June's election, which she held was "specifically intended to provide funding for essential series" including road repairs.

Road maintenance was so key to Sanders' support of the budget that, when it failed to provide increased spending for roads, she cast the sole vote against the budget in last week's meeting. "Sonoma County has postponed road maintenance," she wrote, "and it has dug itself into a budgetary pothole."

The final chance for public input on the city budget comes on Monday, July 2, a the , starting at 6 p.m.

"The meeting is open to the public, and I encourage residents to come and voice your opinion," Sanders wrote.