AgdaPkt 2004-10-11 - Laserfiche WebLink

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qAf1 THREE OUT OF FOUR WESTERN CITIES THE CITIES, COUNTIES & SCHOOLS LESS ABLE TO MEET FISCAL OBLIGATIONS PARTNERSHIP OFFERS UNIQUE The fiscal health of America's cities declined a WORKSHOP FOCUSING ON third straight year in 2004, according to a new report "STRETCHING COMMUNITY DOLLARS' released last week by the National League of Cities. City Fisca/ Conditions in 2004 highlights the results The Cities, Counties & Schools (CCS) Partner- of an annual survey that asks city finance officers ship, in conjunction with the City of Pasadena, is whether their city is less able or better able to meet offering a unique one-day workshop focusing on financial needs than in the previous fiscal year. innovative collaborative successes occurring throughout California, and how jurisdictions can From 2002 to 2004, the proportion of city re- use cooperative approaches to help secure fund- ing for projects, and save money providing ser- sponses indicating they are less able to meet needs vices. was greater than 50 percent - a phenomenon that had not occurred since 1993, when cities were still Scheduled for October 22 in Pasadena, emerging from the recession of the early 1990's. "Stretching Community Dollars: Building for the Future" is a one-day intensive workshop to provide This year, three-fourths of responding finance in-depth technical assistance to individual commu- officers in California and other western states nities on joint use of resources, including: land use reported deteriorating fiscal conditions, compared to planning, facilities, community programs, youth 74 percent in the Midwest, 59 percent in the North- services and administrative procedures. Commu- east and 43 percent in the South. Expectations for nity leaders who have successfully experienced the improvement were low in the West, where 33 collaborative process will provide one-on-one ... "peer" training to develop and implement joint percent felt that their cities' financial condition in 2005 projects. Agenda features include: would be better than it was in 2004, compared to 32 percent in the Midwest, 41 percent in the Northeast · Small discussion groups to offer the opportu- and 52 percent of cities in the South. nity to share ideas with one another and to apply these concepts to your own communities. Nationwide, city general fund revenues, in · Gain an understanding of how to plan and constant dollars (inflation- or cost of living-adjusted), implement collaborative projects are declining for a third consecutive year. · Develop joint-use agreements for action by community teams Finance officers cite a number of factors in- o Infrastructure projects; libraries, parks, creasing pressures on city budgets in recent years: schools and other community facilities 78 percent identified public safety needs, 74 percent · One-on-one training from community leaders who have successfully experienced the collabora- infrastructure needs and 43 percent mentioned tive process human service needs. Other factors include in- · In-depth team training/consultation from a creased employee-related costs: 91 percent identi- national expert in cross-jurisdictional planning fied employee health benefits, 89 percent cited · Work with experienced collaborators and employees' cost of living increases, and 74 percent community partners to develop cooperative plans identified employee pensions. for joint land use, facilities, services, programs and policies Survey data came from 288 responding cities, For more information, please contact the CCS including 57 California cities. Copies of the report can be obtained from the National League of Cities Partnership at 916-323-6011, or website (www.nlc.ora) or by calling (202) 626-3036. ccspartnership@counties.org. Reports and information concerning the fiscal The CCS Partnership is a joint effort of the condition of California cities are available at the League of California Cities, California State Asso- Institute for Local Self Government website ciation of Counties, and California School Boards (www.ilsa.ora). Association representing California's 478 cities, 58 counties and almost 1,000 school districts. Visit the league's Official Web Site--www.cacities.org PRIORITY FOCUS/PAGE 3 .._-,...... -_....~