Reinvesting Local Tax Dollars

In 2004, given the California Budget crises, the Azusa leadership sought ideas to close an anticipated 10% gap between expected FY 2005 general fund revenues of $28.4 million and likely expenses. Rather than focus on the traditional approach to budget that proceeds from the basis of revenues and proposed cuts from a previous year's budget, Azusa started looking at the budget with keeps. The model’s primary focus is on determining outcomes that matter the most and looks at the citywide results that the City wants to accomplish for its citizens.

To accomplish this goal the City Manager paneled a Results Based Budgeting Committee made up various stakeholders. As a business representative and a member, I had the privilege to serve and closely evaluate the key areas of the City budget. After a series of separate meetings and ten brainstorming sessions with internal leaders and the community, the participants were given a fixed income amount and forced to make the top eight choices to spend on each result. All the answers were prioritized into a final list of six and submitted to the City Council.

The six results most important to the community:

  1. Improved economic vitality: to expand retail, retain manufacturing, and attract more business and jobs.
  2. Safer community: to increase safety for people at home, work, school and play.
  3. Better recreational, cultural, and learning opportunities: to enrich lives and raise student achievement.
  4. Healthier environment: to make Azusa cleaner, greener and more beautiful.
  5. Improved neighborhoods: peaceful community, to improve the livability of neighborhoods.
  6. Improved mobility: to improve the safety and ease of traveling to, from, and throughout Azusa.

Although Azusa has slowly balanced its budget by closing the gap, much work is needed to achieve sustainable improved economic vitality, cultural, and learning opportunities.

In addition to its industrial and growing retail sectors, Azusa is fortunate to have many assets such as major university, a community college nearby, and other recreational amenities that it can develop to become a destination City.

Once elected, I will work to energize all sectors of the community, to partner with the leaders, and deliver outcome oriented results.

Through a partnership with Community Development we can:

  • Create programs to attract new entrepreneurs to start and grow their business in Azusa;
  • Work closely with community development/redevelopment to eliminate barriers for our growing retail base and other new business ventures;
  • Reinvest the untapped dollars into the local economy. In order to do that we have to provide the necessary services to the community, and the needs of the students;
  • Encourage the community, organizations, and the City to use every effort to find services locally first;
  • Sponsor youth entrepreneurship programs.

Through a partnership with social purpose and community-centered organizations we can:

  • Attract committed members and volunteers, and engage them with the community;
  • Create dialogue that builds connections and increased understanding;
  • Find creative means to empower social change.