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| Four new finance and administrative positions. Planning, but no Economic Development Director |
.... "After years of penny-pinching and grim economic choices, the city’s financial team is reporting stronger than expected projections for a year that was already looking good. Among the rosy predictions: revenues up 10 percent, a $200,000 surplus and the ability to finally take on ambitious long-term projects for the community.
“There’s no doubt about the savings,” said Stuart Schillinger, Half Moon Bay’s interim city manager, who himself is in the city on a contract with the city of Brisbane. “You have this bandwidth beyond just your staff with limited time.” .... The city has focused its in-house staff to provide oversight of contractors. For the upcoming year, the city is planning to grow its team by hiring four new financial and administrative positions. That would bring the city’s total permanent headcount to 20 staffers — still a far cry from 2007, when the city employed more than 50 people." Read article.
Reference - City of Half Moon Bay. City-data.com/Half Moon Bay. Population in 2012: 11,653 (89% urban, 11% rural). Population change since 2000: -1.6%. Compare to: City-data.com/Pacifica. Population in 2012: 38,189 (100% urban, 0% rural). Population change since 2000: -0.5%.
Note: photograph of Robert De Naro, actor, from one of his movies on website of ND class of 79 pals.
Posted by Kathy Meeh
3 comments:
"Higher revenues linked to past choices". Wow, can we have that tattooed on all council members present and future? Require them to recite it as they begin each agenda item. Lots of parallels betw us and HMB, adjusted for scale of course, including wanting a 30 million dollar library and floating a tax measure. The big difference is that they took a different and far more aggressive path out of their financial mess. That "contractor model" seems to have worked for them. I wonder if it will lessen their future pension obligation? Tell the financial truth, cut labor to the bone, delay or eliminate projects, and, make sure your revenues growgrowgrow...it isn't rocket science.
Half Moon Bay has revenue. They have revenue producing project thus they are not bankrupt like Pacifica.
When you have no money you have your shoes resoled, when your flush you buy new shoes.
What they have, and we lack, is competent elected leadership with an honest and fearless committment to real economic development. Makes all the difference.
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