2003 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report

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year we will start work on new administrative offices for the Fire Department and Central Fire Station. The Mayor's top initiatives will focus on regional policing, providing in -car cameras for all patrol cars and placing more emphasis on training and recruitment for the Police and Fire Departments. We're Building an Attractive City - We are working to enhance the natural and man-made beauty of our city through effective City programs. For the fifth year in a row we were named a Tree City USA. The Building Block Grant Program helps residents spruce up their neighborhoods, and aggressive Code Enforcement will continue to address deteriorated and nuisance properties. The Commercial Corridors Improvement Fund provides much needed funding to address a variety of needs along five of the City's major corridors. The City is funding major programs for curb & sidewalks, neighborhood centers, weed & seed program, and transforming a former dump into a model outdoor environmental lab. We're Building Opportunity - A key issue for any city is education and opportunity for young people. The City is committed to keeping schools open in our neighborhoods and to maximizing their use by the community. We are building partnerships that will create new strategies for enhancing our formal education system. Working together with families, student groups, school officials, neighborhoods, the faith community and civic organizations, we can support our local schools and improve the level of individual student performance. We're Building a Strong Economy - Local government plays a key role in economic development. By providing adequate infrastructure and offering targeted assistance, the City can stimulate private investment, creating business opportunities and jobs. The City's policies encourage new start- up businesses, strengthen existing business, attract new jobs, increase assessed value and emphasize direct investment in hard -to- develop areas. Efforts have been and will continue to focus on implementing the comprehensive plans for downtown and the East Bank. The City's administration will vigorously pursue the revitalization of older industrial sites, as well as the expansion of the Blackthorn area. Proprietary Operations. The City's proprietary operations comprise several separate and distinct activities accounted for in both Enterprise and Internal Service funds. The Enterprise Fund operations include the following: the City's downtown parking garages, water utility services, wastewater utility services, solid waste services, the Century Center, the consolidated St. Joseph County /South Bend Building Department and, Blackthorn Golf Course. The Internal Service Fund operations include the City's self - funded liability insurance program, the City's self-funded employee benefits program, and Central Services (a department that accounts for the expenses related to fuel, vehicle repairs and various other services and supplies xiv