02-11-19 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

REGULAR MEETING February 11, 2019 Mayor Pete continued, Fourth (4th), we are going to continue working on anything we can do to just be a more efficient operation. The business analytics team, in particular,has given us a whole new level of visibility on City operations. We found all kinds of ways to tweak, refine, improve and adjust. If we could find even just one percent (1%) efficiency savings in our General Fund, that takes more than $500,000 off the bottom line. We have a lot going on in purchasing. We are refining our purchasing process.We are using our purchasing power better. Also,capital budgeting is something we've never really done, to be honest, at a whole Administration level. We've done capital budgets at a department level but have never arrayed the entire thing and this is something we would invite the Council to partner with us on doing. At a three(3) year or five(5) year budget level, how do we balance the needs of capital upgrades? We really want to start looking at capital budgets the same way we do operational budgets, City-wide. We are always looking at new possibilities for revenue and will continue looking for public-private partnerships that are responsible and if they will benefit the City's fiscal position. I am confident that if we're willing to make challenging but fair choices, without dramatic cuts to services,we will be able to get to a very good fiscal position in 2020. I welcome the Council's partnership in that. That is the end of my presentation and I am happy to field questions. Again, if I don't know the answer I will call on one (1) of my colleague or take it down for response at a later time. Council President Tim Scott stated,Thank you, Mayor. I encourage Council Members to get with you and your Administration if they want to go in depth on anything just presented. I will entertain two (2) concise questions to the Mayor, per Council Members, on the information here, in lieu of time. Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston stated, Comment and a question. I want to thank your Administration as well as Councilmember Karen White. Having this briefing today reinforces the tremendous job you all have done in keeping us all abreast of what's happening throughout the year and throughout that whole budgeting process. We continue to engage around issues like debt and the fiscal curb. Those have been big concerns for our constituents. One (1) question I have regards one (1) of those first (1St) slides talking about the poverty rate. You can answer it later or whatever,maybe it's an easy answer. It's exciting to see it going down. One(1)question that came to mind was is that a reflection of the increase in annual income or displacement because we don't have affordable housing and those folks leave? I don't know how to calculate that or if you've thought about that. Mayor Pete replied, That's a good question. We are trying to get more fidelity on the data. We do think it is driven by a real increase to that median but, at the same time,we don't have individual- level tracking. So, while we don't see strong levels of displacement,part of what we are seeing is some people move into the City who add to the median income but some people who have been here the whole time have not seen their incomes improve yet. Councilmember Sharon L. McBride stated, I would like to thank you, Mayor, and the Administration, for the engagement you've had with the Council this year. I think the information has been very transparent and informative and any questions we've had you have always addressed them. Thank you and I look forward to continuing partnering with you all moving forward. Councilmember Jo M. Broden stated, Thank you for your great leadership and that of your staff. The benchmark of the double A (AA) rating is terrific. I will need some refreshment and follow up from your staff on that Medicaid reimbursement piece. I know that we've had some conversations about that but I'm not so certain about the actual dollar impact we are anticipating on that. And then my understanding is that it's pretty likely that we won't receive that but if I'm wrong on that, please help correct me. And then with regard to the road funding, some update on that in terms of that percentage and what we are actually looking for in messages to communicate downstate, I would be happy to help on that. I appreciate the consideration, well first (1St) of all, the cash benchmarking relative to other cities that Mr. Parker brought to this presentation. I also really appreciate the capital budget and looking at that City-wide as well as multi-year. I know the process of this past financial year was multi-year and I really do appreciate that. I think as a community we benefit from those longer views and the engagement of the discussion on that. So, thank you very much. 17