June
2008 | A Guest
Editorial by
Richard Earnest
It
is that time
of year again
for the city
as we take up
the task of
examining budget
proposals and
deciding how
Del Mar will
deliver services
and capital
improvements
to the residents
over the next
two years.
We
will be doing
this in a very
different environment
than the last
several. The economic
environment is
much more tenuous.
The state budget
has a massive
potential deficit
and the appetite
to tap local governments
to alleviate their
problems. The
projects and ideas
related to improving
the quality of
life in Del Mar
are impressive,
costly and growing.
In addition, unfunded
mandates from
Sacramento such
as the Clean Water
requirements are
growing and place
additional demand
on general fund
capacity. It is
within this set
of conditions
that your city
council and staff
must prioritize
as never before.
With your input,
I am certain that
we will successfully
grapple with these
challenges but
hard choices will
have to be made.
Thanks to a lively,
engaged and intelligent
community, we
all have our favorite
project or cause.
Not everyone will
get their way.
Projects will
move up and down
the priority chain
depending on what
is best for the
community as a
whole. Some things
will have to be
delayed. Some
may be cancelled
outright in favor
of more critical
needs. I am sure
that not everyone
will be happy
with the outcome.
New
sources of revenue
are going to be
explored as well
as additional
ways to get more
out of each dollar
we collect. We
are open to any
suggestion or
idea as to how
to do things better.
However, we can't
have it all. At
least we can't
have it all right
now. Del Mar is
in better shape
fiscally than
many of our sister
cities in the
region. On the
other hand we
have some unique
fiscal demands
on our resources,
such as our beaches,
that don't exist
elsewhere.
I
think that this
council is committed
to protecting
the quality of
life in Del Mar
for the long term,
in spite of the
challenges we
face. This will
require different
thinking and new
ways of problem
solving than we
are familiar with.
It won't be comfortable
for some but change
is seldom comfortable.
We have a choice:
We can manage
the changes going
on around us and
how they affect
our quality of
life or we can
be managed by
them. Ignoring
them is not an
option.
Richard
Earnest is a city
council member.
© 2007-08 Del Mar Community Alliance, Inc. All rights reserved. |
