Tacoma residents and neighborhood activists filled City Hall yesterday as City Manager Eric Anderson outlined a plan to use projected budget surpluses to fund a community-based pilot project designed to team city and social service resources with residents in four designated areas in order to address neighborhood concerns.
The plan would create a community-based services team that would report to the city’s executive leaders and support two community action teams, and one technical support team. The community action teams would include a police officer, code inspector, and a representative from the city’s Human Rights and Human Services Department. The technical support team would include inspectors from the Public Utilities and Fire Departments. In turn, these teams would serve four neighborhoods that would use the resources of four newly-hired community coordinators to resolve issues of public safety, code enforcement, and community perception of neighborhoods.
“If something like this is to work, it would bring resources of the city to bear on neighborhoods,” said Assistant City Manager Bill Pugh, who added that support services from organizations such as Tacoma CARES, Tacoma Avenue Crime and Safety Committee, Jenny Reed Weeding Committee, Safe Streets, and the Metropolitan Development Council were essential for the program to succeed. “It’s important that other resources are available, and we need to draw upon them as necessary. The challenge out there is daunting, and the resources identified are necessary.”
Four neighborhoods identified under this plan include:
Area A — Sixth Ave. to South Ninth St.; Yakima to Sprague (30 blocks);
Area B — Sixth Ave. to S. 25th St.; Fawcett to G St. (40 blocks);
Area C — I-5 to S. M St.; I-5 to S. 38th St. (32 blocks);
Area D — S. 56th St. to S. 66th St.; Washington to Oakes (90 blocks);
During the first year of the pilot program, community action team members would participate in neighborhood meetings, the city would proactively address code enforcement based upon neighborhood concerns, neighborhoods would develop community action plans, and community coordinators in each neighborhood would maintain a means of communication between City Hall and neighborhoods.
All of this work would be carried out without a drop in the levels of service provided to other parts of the city.
Funding for the program would come from a $5.6 million surplus through 2007.
“I’m in favor of this approach,” said Councilmember Rick Talbert. “It’s an excellent idea and we need to head this way in terms of being proactive.” Still, Councilmember Talbert favored the idea of contracting with neighborhood service provider such as Safe Streets to carry out the tasks of the four community coordinators, instead of hiring new employees. “Are we filling the staff with folks that we may be able to contract with, and who are already providing these services?” Councilmember Talbert asked. “I’m fearful we may confuse citizens who are already familiar with an organization like Safe Streets.”
Deputy Mayor Connie Ladenburg agreed. “Safe Streets literally wrote the book on how to make neighborhood action plans,” she said. “I don’t favor reinventing the wheel, and I would like to see Safe Streets involved. To not utilize Safe Streets would be a mistake.”
City Manager Anderson said he wasnt against that idea, adding, “Coming into this as a pilot program, we wanted to make sure what had enough resources so that the program has every chance to succeed. As we move forward, we may find we need to modify these resources. But this is our best estimate of the best program with the best opportunity for success.”
“We are counting on involvement from Safe Streets,” said Assistant City Manager Pugh. “It’s a critical part of our success.”
On. Nov. 8, Anderson laid out his plan for balancing the city’s budget through 2008 by cutting 41 jobs, eliminating a projected $12.25 million deficit through 2007, creating a surplus, and avoiding property tax increases.
The budget proposal also calls for aggressive reorganization of city government, such as eliminating the General Services Department, renaming the Economic Development Department, shifting duties from Human Resources to the Legal Department, creating an Information Technology Department, and establishing compensation policies, performance standards, and a performance-based pay structure for city staff.
Anderson also favors a long-term plan that calls for elimination of property and B&O taxes, reduction of the utility tax, and introduction of monthly user fees for police, fire, and library services. Fees would be based upon building occupancy or property value, applicable to all property owners — including hospitals, non-profit organizations, schools, ports, and governments (but not houses of worship) — and charged monthly in an itemized invoice. User fees for police, fire, and library services would have to meet or exceed $150 million — the revenue currently generated from the city’s B&O and property taxes — to pencil out, and exceed that amount in order to gain ground on the projected deficit.
The plan lacks specific financial details, and has received mixed reviews from councilmembers.
Anderson was hired May 24 largely based upon his cost-cutting efforts as a city manager in Des Moines, Iowa. Last year, the Tacoma City Council discovered a $29.6 million deficit while balancing its biennium budget. The council approved a two-year, $356 million general fund budget on Dec. 14, but with provisions that provided funding for one year toward services such as the Proctor District fire station and community liaison police officers. In addition, the city’s expenses have climbed over the past several years, the result of higher costs for wages and benefits, and a law limiting property taxes citywide.
Councilmembers are expected to finalize the new budget Dec. 13.
Full details of the City Manager’s budget proposal, including the slideshow and background materials, are available at http://www.cityoftacoma.org/tacomanews. Citizens can also submit their budget questions through the Web site. Andersons budget proposal will be considered again during workshops Nov. 16 and Nov. 30 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers. The workshops will be broadcast live by TV Tacoma on cable Channel 12 in Tacoma and on CityPost, cable Channel 77 on Comcast and Channel 85 on Click! Replays of the workshops will be posted on the TV Tacoma Web site within 24 hours of the presentation at http://www.tvtacoma.com
