A Different View On Providing For The Future

Have you ever heard somebody say something and think “Wow, I really disagree with you.”   And you have a realization that you are really, really far apart, looking at the world through a different lens?

I experienced that feeling earlier this week.  I found myself shaking my head.

On Monday evening the City Council met with the City Manager and the Director of Finance to discuss the .  When this fiscal year started, we estimated that we would have a $1.2 million dollar deficit for this fiscal year, not counting the $1 million dollars that has been committed from the City’s reserve for the Wilson buyout.  City Manager Lehman Walker has already eliminated more than $400,000 in spending, without affecting services to residents.  We are doing a little better in revenues than expected. Some additional savings may be identified between now and the end of the fiscal year.  So, fiscal year 2011 will end up better than anticipated, with a smaller deficit.

Initial estimates were for a deficit of $900,000 in fiscal year 2012. (That will be less because of changes made this year.)  And by fiscal year 2013?  The anticipated deficit is at about $2 million if we don’t make more changes.  Estimates of future deficits keep getting higher and higher.

The financial situation is critical.  And to get things in line again – which I know can and will happen – will take effort, commitment, and focus. Some tough decisions will have to be made, decisions that may affect some of our staff members,  but that I hope won’t affect service levels.  It’s not fun, but it has to be done.  It has to be done to protect University City, to make sure this city that has survived in fine fashion for more than 100 years can and will survive for 100 more (I hope).

My shaking head moment came during the Council meeting when one of my colleagues said “I don’t care about what happens ten years from now.  I won’t be here!”

Wow.

I do care what happens in ten years.

I do think this Council and administration have to focus on the long term and make the structural changes in our operations that must be made to keep our budget in balance.

I do believe that using our reserves to balance the budget is wrong,  for the present and the future.  They should be used only as a last option.

I do believe we are stewards, here to protect what the past has given us so that we can hand it on in good shape  to the U Citians of the future.

There are a number of reasons we find ourselves in this financial shape.  And one of them is that in the past we have failed to look at the long-term picture and do the hard work of reining in spending.

We can’t do that again.

At this point in our history we need to take the long view, and take the hard steps needed to ensure that long view is a good one.

Mayor Shelley Welsch

To hear more about what the mayor has in store for U City go to http://www.ucitymo.com.