Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 05-20-08 special agenda - budget policy issues — reading text

o CD m 00 PC 3° 09 CO QoC aeCr4. oeftG+ cr nn K O bd V1V1 CC OO CD i CD 05 =- r CO ro y CA En O RC G. 00 POEPOE M HH n 9q¢ f" f" mm N ciicii CAD C(D GQ Q D'D' ILA 00 00 D CO H S vnvn o vn tt t oo aa a Q) CtZ a o D to v H O mommom lDlD lD Y 0 shsh WW HH D N DD AA ii c°c°a c° aNaN. . OO O jj  O x ' L y . c i cz co ccs vj Q U O A `o s M CIS 0 04 4; 0" o co 3 2 0 , a) . asp 6* ce o . cat > c> Ic A w v ev bz cu a CZ 0 En ;> 0 U2 Ct Cts 4 JD4 C13 - W v o 0c CZ bo V°1 N C O cz sq CU 43 A o F V bA  OKALOOSA CITIZENS ALLIANCE INC. Kabe Woods - President Statement before the Ft. Walton Beach City Council May 20, 2008 I am Kabe Woods and I live at 240 Brooks Street in Ft. Walton Beach. I am the President of KLW Properties, a private investment firm and real estate brokerage and I am the President of Okaloosa Citizens Alliance Inc. Over the next 2 -3 years Ft. Walton Beach City government will be facing some of it' s' most significant fiscal challenges in many years. Because of various citizens initiatives, legislative actions and a general downturn in the economy, the trend of annual revenue increases for the City will reverse and a new fiscal paradigm will prevail. Rough estimates of 5 % - 15% in local revenue reductions may only be the beginning. With state revenues down $3 -$ 6B this year and the possibility of another $ 4 -$6B next year, aggressive action on the local level must be taken now. Tough budget times bring great opportunity and remind us of our core responsibility as fiscal stewards. We are also pushed to prioritize and focus our energies on Citizens most crucial needs and on what government does well —providing core government services. The Okaloosa Citizens Alliance has been looking at county and city spending now for several years and have talked with you on many occasions. We have