Council Member Troxclair's Budget Message

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Michael Searle
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu May 28, 2015 3:48 pm

Council Member Troxclair's Budget Message

Post by Michael Searle »

All,

I wanted to share a message that Council Member Troxclair just shared with me about the Budget. She wanted to make sure that her position on this Budget was on record and known to the public and all of her colleagues on Council. I also want to reiterate her thanks to the City Staff, Council Members, Council staff, and members of the community who have spent countless hours on this Budget process.

Thank you for considering her position.

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First, thank you to all of those who have reached out with well-wishes since the arrival of our daughter. We are very grateful for all of the support we have received as we welcome Juliette to the world.

I want to also thank my colleagues on the dais and our City staff who have been working so hard to bring this budget season to a productive finish. It is clear to anyone watching that we each care deeply about our constituents, our city, and the services our city provides.

Amidst a record population influx, record development revenues, and record levels of tourism, our City is benefitting from over $40 million in additional revenue this year. Yet, our city government spending is greatly outpacing this growth, meaning current residents are still being asked for more.

Our citizens are facing an undeniable and escalating affordability crisis. Annual increases in property taxes, utility bills, and fees impact affordability for renters, homeowners, and business owners alike. As we all look to make responsible budget decisions, addressing this crisis has remained my top priority.

My hope was that this Council would be able to provide much needed relief by decreasing the financial demands the city places on our homeowners and renters. Unfortunately, because this does not appear to be the case, I will not be able to support this unaffordable budget.

I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in the upcoming year to take the pleas of our residents to heart and address our cost of living issues.

- Council Member Ellen Troxclair
Chief of Staff
Office of Council Member Ellen Troxclair, District 8