Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 09-05-2007 special agenda — reading text

and given specific guidance on various issues. suggestions As you recall, my first request at the Policy meeting in May was for an across the board 10% cut in spending, and I fully support the termination of the recycling program. I have also discussed with you the elimination of the budget line item called reserves" line contingencies" as I believe that that is a duplication of the ''undesignated item and should be managed as one item. These were all suggestions made to you in good faith and with the hope that you would consider them worthy of consideration. As it goes with these meetings it is fair for you to ask that solutions, not complaints, be brought to the table. So how about a few suggestions: 1. Add two new words to your vocabulary; NO! and STOP! 2. The budget recommendation made by the City Manger to reduce overall spending,reduce ad valorem tax collections and a millage rate of 4. 19 should be approved. Yes lets' keep it simple and drop some of the digits. 3. By policy the City government of Ft.Walton Beach will be a " high performance organization" with fewer and BETTER compensated employees. In addition,no EXISTING employees will be laid off and service levels will be maintained. Yes it can be done. 4. All resource allocation decisions will be made using the following priorities: 1. Public Safety 2. Essential Services 3. Quality of Life. P. o. Box 238 Fort Wahoo Beach Florida 32549 www.oca1787. org 240- 1948 850-  OKALOOSA CITIZENS ALLIANCE INC. Kabe Woods - President Speech before the Ft. Walton Beach City Council September 5. 2007 Pa2e 3 of 3 5. Look for and FIND areas for consolidation of services between the County and Cities. Find areas where service can be improved and cost lowered. Fire and EMS are possibilities. 6. Find services that can be outsourced to private enterprise. The Golf Course comes tQ mind first. 7. Re-examine EVERY capital project against your stated priorities above. Look for possible elimination,changes in approach ( refurbish versus building new), and timing of projects. 8. Look at moving from a " defined benefit" to a " dermed contribution" retirement plan. 9. Use qualified Citizens or Citizen Organi7.ations to help reduce the need for studies". There are some very good people in this County who can help. As I have told you and the County Commission, my biggest disappointment right ~ow is that the State has had to " come to our aid" in regards to local spending decisions. Because of short sighted decisions by some, but not all local governments it will be even more difficult for us, the Citizens of Ft. Walton Beach to influence decisions about government spending. Frankly, that is a tragedy. -------------------- Thank you. P.O. Box 238 Fort Walton Beach Florida 32549 www.oca1787. org 850- 240-1948  0 0 0 0 0 CO 0 0 ~ CC! CC! c: . CO T"" CO ..- 0 c . 2 e~ T"" ..- N C ci CO " u CD C CD a; m '0 I) S f! CD . s::. I/) ( 0. CO :: C 1) 00 0) .;.: I C 0 . s::.0 c 0:: CD 2 'fi CO c .. I/) 0 s::. u CD - .. u; "C c . m s::. 0 1) co 10 CO ....... 10 I') CO (' 0 .......T"" s::. ' i ~ C ::i w CO a CD u . s::. 0.( mID 0_ t " I) 0 0) :: I 0 CD :: C> I ~ Ole: ~ (' C I/) C. " C I/)CD " C ~ I')10 CO CO 0 c . C . s::. 0,9 I')I') I') (' I') (' (' V CD CO a. .! CO a. .. ( e E- m s::. CD 3 I) CD ::: E ... s::. i I/) a. e s CO a; I/) C~ s::. 0 u: c : s::.c ct s::. . I/) 0 I/) ~ CD U e: 0 I/) 0 .. mLL CD C I .. . Cii )( . 0 .