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From: <br />Nicole Johnson <br />To: <br />Council -Diane Howard <br />Cc: <br />GRP -City Council <br />Subject: <br />Thank you for keeping Engine 9 in RWC <br />Date: <br />Tuesday, October 27, 2020 10:34:56 PM <br />Dear Mayor Howard and City Council, <br />Thank you for keeping Engine 9 in Redwood City. It gives me confidence in our local <br />government that you listened to the community. <br />With gratitude, <br />Nicole Johnson <br />On Mon, Oct 26, 2020 at 1:05 PM Council -Diane Howard <DHoward&redwoodcity.ora> <br />wrote: <br />Dear Ms. Johnson, <br />Thank you so much for your email regarding the Revised Budget that the City Council will <br />consider at its meeting tonight. Your email has been shared with both our City Council and <br />Staff, and your comments will be included as Public Comment for this topic. <br />I wanted to share some context for the Revised Budget, and encourage you to review the staff <br />report and Revised Budget. <br />Because of the COVID-19-related recession, City operating revenues are expected to drop 8.1% or <br />$13.1 million compared to FY 2019-20. We expect it will take at least five years for revenue to <br />return to FY 2019-20 levels. <br />When reduced revenues are combined with known cost increases to fund pension and retiree <br />health obligations, the City must reduce operating costs and seek new revenues. Without action, <br />we would face annual deficits of $7-13 million per year for the foreseeable future. We appreciate <br />voter support for Measure RR in 2018; without it, the City would face even greater deficits. <br />The Revised Budget reduces expenditures in all City departments, including $4.9 million in <br />funding for public safety services (5-6% of Fire and Police Department expenditures). Total <br />reductions are $7.7 million. <br />The reductions do not lay off any employees; they selectively maintain existing staff vacancies <br />