While serving on the board of the Southwest Riverside County Association of REALTORS, I had the good fortune to meet many community leaders. One of those I have enjoyed spending time with is Maryann Edwards, Temecula City Council member and mayor pro tem. I have been asking Maryann to write a guest article for my blog, and she has delivered:
“Government should be run like a business, or like we run our household budget!” How many times have you had that same thought?
Me too, and that’s exactly the way the city council and staff prepare the budget for the city of Temecula each year. Here are the basic rules that are the key to this city’s success:
1) Don’t spend more than you take in;
2) Safety first;
3) Put money away for a rainy day
4) Your “special projects wish list” should have a separate savings plan and timeline
5) Don’t skimp on the important things
Temecula has no debt, and in 2008-09 the city will take in $1.1 million more than it spends with a budget of $62.8 million. Public safety (police and fire) will receive 41% of the budget with one police officer for every 910 residents and a paramedic on every fire engine. The city’s emergency rainy day reserve will be $12 million.
The “special projects wish list” is the Capital Improvement Budget of $405 million. The CIP provides for complete funding over a five year period and includes the French Valley Parkway freeway interchange, Pechanga Parkway improvements, and the Temecula Community Center expansion. This “project savings plan” has served the city well for nearly 20 years and allowed Temecula to remain debt-free while completing nearly a billion dollars in infrastructure improvements.
Lastly, I believe that when Temecula builds a public facility or project, it should be the very best - every time. Temecula’s facilities (library, theater, parks, civic center) are meticulously planned and budgeted to be the best in quality, beauty, and long-term functionality.
Whether it’s for a business, a home, or a shining city, fiscal responsibility is vital. A budget must be based on sound financial principles administered by people with vision and the guts to stick with the plan. It is this winning formula that has made Temecula the beautiful place we all call home.
Thanks so much, Maryann. I think Temecula is in excellent hands. The Inland Empire is a wonderful place to live, and I would love the honor of showing you around.
Murrieta Real Estate Expert – Tom Plant, REALTOR® - Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage – Active Rain Ambassador (951) 907-9701
It would be my honor to show you the incredible Temecula Valley, a place I’m very proud to call home.
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