City Survey Is Funded to Help With Next Budget

Don’t be surprised if you get a call inquiring about city services in the coming weeks.

In an effort to help next year’s budgetary process, the city will survey residents about city services.

The City Council on Tuesday approved spending about $24,300 to hire Hawkins Advertising of Newport Beach to conduct the survey. Under the program, residents will be asked which services they want, what levels they need and how they should be funded.

“It’s a great approach,” Tami Piscotty, the city’s senior management assistant, said. “Let’s find out what people like or dislike.”

Officials said the information will help them deal with a projected $600,000 shortfall, caused in large part by passage of Proposition 218, which outlawed the city’s lighting and landscape taxing district.

They dealt with a similar deficit this year by using reserves and cutting spending. But continuing this policy would deplete the city’s reserves in three years and other solutions must be pursued, Piscotty said.

Hawkins Advertising will meet Sept. 23 with the city’s 15-member Blue Ribbon Finance Committee, which was created to develop fiscal recommendations. Another focus group of 10 randomly selected residents also will be created.

A telephone survey of 200 randomly selected residents will be conducted in October, and a newsletter with a written questionnaire will be mailed in November to all residents.

A final analysis of the data will be handed to council members in January before next year’s budget is considered.