General Fund Draws Harshest Glare of Scrutiny

canada goose outlet boston [Noozhawk note: This is one in a series of articles on Noozhawk Santa Barbara Challenge, our public engagement project on the city of Santa Barbara budget. Related links are below.] canada goose outlet boston

Santa Barbara General Fund is at the epicenter of budget workshop discussions, since canada goose outlet store it makes up canada goose outlet online less than half the city budget but hosts almost all the deficits.

Economic downturns hit the General Fund hardest because it fuels canada goose outlet toronto factory the traditional canada goose outlet online uk government services that depend on tax revenues for income. Combined with ever increasing expenses, the city of Santa Barbara has struggled with making multimillion dollar spending cuts for the past several years.

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The General Fund hosts the public safety, community development, parks and recreation, library, public works and administrative departments.

Tax revenues are the biggest source of income for governmental funds and all local taxes have canada goose outlet reviews lost years of growth as a result of the recession.

Since 2000, the General Fund expenses have increased to $99.6 million for the 2010 budget from $63.9 million. canada goose outlet in usa Expenditures came in above revenue levels in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009, according to city documents.

canada goose outlet niagara falls The increased costs are related mostly to salary and benefit expenses, which have jumped up about $25 million or about 68 percent since 2000. canada goose outlet niagara falls

canada goose outlet store calgary the last five years, we haven done a good enough job to keep costs down, said Bob Samario, the city finance director. canada goose outlet store calgary

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canada goose parka outlet Raising revenues and cutting expenses is the practiced method to solve a deficit, but when revenues are tax based and therefore less flexible, the options become one sided: magically find money, or cut, canada goose outlet sale cut, cut. canada goose parka outlet

Staff members try to fashion solutions that limit canada goose outlet uk significant cuts to service, such as leaving positions vacant, using reserves and negotiating labor concessions. These one time fixes have been used extensively in the last two fiscal years, which each canada goose outlet jackets had a $10 million funding gap.

canada goose outlet store uk Concessions must be renegotiated every year for most labor groups and are one time canada goose outlet shop fixes. So far, voluntary concessions have included furloughs, or unpaid leave, postponing raises and suspending vacation cash outs. canada goose outlet store uk

canada goose outlet in uk There have not been any layoffs yet, but about 80 positions have been lost through attrition and vacancies in the last few years, Samario said. canada goose outlet in uk

canada goose outlet houston This year, banking on future labor concessions was the Santa Barbara Channels public access TV. The potential concessions were not negotiated by the time of budget adoption, and canada goose jacket outlet were not considered to be placed back into budget reserves. canada goose outlet houston

A 25 percent official canada goose outlet reserve level represents three months of revenues, for unprecedented situations in which the city gets no revenues but still accrues expenses, Samario said. It breaks down into 15 percent for disaster reserves, 10 percent for budgetary reserves and a straight $1 million in capital reserves, which has never been touched.

canada goose outlet edmonton The disaster reserves are designated for major natural disaster situations, and have never been needed, but the budgetary reserves have been nearly depleted. The City Council has voted to use most of the recommended $10 million, canada goose outlet uk sale leaving reserves with $18.2 million of the recommended $25 million. canada goose outlet edmonton

canada goose kensington parka uk Those reserves are meant to be used in economically uncertain times, but the city has used them more than it should have, Samario acknowledged. canada goose kensington parka uk

canada goose outlet vip reality, we canada goose outlet nyc probably used them Canada Goose Outlet for more than fluctuations. we used them to fund ongoing costs, he said. canada goose outlet vip

The economy recovery will likely be slow, and tax revenues have lost years goose outlet canada of growth. Samario mentioned the shape some believe the recovery will take once in, it takes a long time to get out, and the possibility of a recession. Sales tax revenues, for one, have been than we ever thought they could be, he said.

canada goose outlet store quebec Everything put forth as a potential cut therefore low https://www.alifeoutofdebt.com priority last year is likely to come back, City Administrator Jim Armstrong said. canada goose outlet store quebec

canada goose victoria parka outlet we get concessions, most are one time, he said. next year, if they go away or are lower, we have a built in problem. not a desire by the City Council to cut significant services like a library or fire station, but those were options considered by department heads for fiscal year 2010, Armstrong said. canada goose victoria parka outlet

canada goose outlet store montreal For 2011, the city is looking at a $3 million to $4 million problem if costs can be held down while revenues continue to get better, Samario estimates canada goose outlet store montreal.