During this week’s City Council meeting, there was a poster in the audience that read “action > words”. That has always resonated with me. As the legislative body in a Council-Manager form of government, our role on the City Council is primarily to set policy and budget and then rely […]
As we head into summer, this week’s post will be shorter (especially for those of you who read through my lengthy one last week about the latest on T Zones, which I realize may not pique everyone’s interest). I’ll share the latest on the city’s finances as the fiscal year […]
Thank you for the enthusiastic responses to my announcement last week about seeking re-election. Friends are helping me collect signatures so I’d love your help getting on the ballot if you happen to be approached. As was the case 4 years ago, I plan to be judicious with the use […]
I wasn’t planning on a blog post this week since City Council was off, but I had news to share and decided that it would be fitting to continue sharing the same way I’ve been writing for 8 years now. Read on… Best, Letty PS – We are back next week […]
Our meeting this week brought out one of the biggest crowds I’ve seen in Council Chambers in a long time. We welcomed a higher than average number of “ceremonial” items, but in the best way: Youth Reps taking their oaths of office, students from Operation Earthwatch, 5th graders advocating for […]
We adopted the budget in record time, consistent with the changes we made in the markup work session. This year’s budget process had little fireworks, mostly due to a few factors – we’ve settled into the revenue sharing agreement with the schools for 4 years now and when revenues are […]
We’re in the home stretch of budget season, and the good news is that we’ve largely come to a consensus on the budget we’ll adopt this Monday night. The budget is a reflection of our community values and one of the most consequential decisions we make each year. Read on […]
City Council was back in the saddle this week. It was a packed agenda spanning housing, budget, T zones, and ground floor uses – so fair warning – this post will also be packed. I hope you’ll find it useful to stay engaged and understand my positions. Because I think […]
We’re in the middle of budget season and we voted to advertise the tax rates this week, but had lots of other business on our docket. I’ll share the latest on voting ward changes, our first look at a new development project on S. Washington/S. Maple, a potpourri of economic […]
Happy spring! City business marches on (especially during budget season) even if it’s spring break for those of us with school-aged kids. I want to specifically highlight three things: Look forward to your thoughts about voting ward changes, budget, and other topics. We’ll have a marathon meeting next Monday where […]
The City Manager presented his proposed FY24 operating budget (FY24 starts July 1, 2023) and the CIP (Capital Improvements Program) this week, which marks the beginning of City Council’s annual budget season. The budget is one of the most important decisions we make each year, as it should reflect our […]
City Council had a relatively light meeting agenda, but it was a busy news week. The groundbreaking ceremony for Founders Row 2 happened this week, but it occurred in the backdrop of news of the imminent closure of the small format Target store on S. Washington. I’ve been fielding variations […]