2024 Budget Sustains Public Safety, Streets, Parks, Business Support and Essential Programs for Vulnerable Residents
I am pleased to present to you the 2024 Proposed Annual Budget for our city. This budget reflects the priorities of our City Council, maintains strong financial management, continues responsible financial stewardship and focuses on the City’s resilience and sustainability for today and the future. It further preserves project momentum and maintains ongoing investment for residents in affordable housing assistance, public safety, parks, streets and sidewalks, business support, among other programs.
This year's budget focuses on the following key objectives:
- Safeguard and Sustain Progress: Over the past six years, our city has made major strides to maintain, strengthen and improve City services and infrastructure. We have bolstered staffing for our police force, expanded our fire department with more firefighters and paramedics to meet growing service needs, and invested in streets and infrastructure improvements after meeting the goal to bring the City’s streets and sidewalks program back in-house.
We also remain focused on reinforcing a positive business environment, including the redevelopment of the Wheaton Way corridor and Charleston, Manette, and downtown business districts, among others.
In addition, this budget includes $2.2 million in dedicated funding to establish a safe, hygienic and supportive shelter to help the unhoused and vulnerable populations in the City. We are also continuing investments in a mobile response unit for opioid and mental health incidents, the behavioral health program for crisis intervention, the Stand by Me program, and funding for health and hygiene cleanup efforts and removal of debris in areas with illegal dumping.
These efforts, combined with our continued investments in other essential services, will help to safeguard and sustain progress in our City.
- Maintain Fiscal Responsibility and Resilience: The 2024 budget continues to place a high premium on fiscal responsibility, especially due to economic uncertainty and the possibility of an economic recession. Thanks to thorough financial planning and diversified revenue sources, our city's financial health remains strong. We have taken proactive measures to ensure this budget remains resilient while prioritizing essential citizen services, protecting the progress we have made, and keeping projects moving forward. We have also incorporated contingencies and risk assessments to navigate uncertainty and possible economic headwinds in 2024.
We’ve had many accomplishments this year (highlighted here), and my proposed 2024 budget will help ensure our progress stays on course and moves our City forward.
My proposed budget is available for viewing online. I will be working with the City Council over the next several weeks to review the budget before they adopt the document. Residents can find dates and information on City Council meetings on our website here.