City Revenue Generation Alternatives

By Lee Yarborough

Revenue generation policy requires consensus. I will conclude the process of public, staff, board and commission recommendations and the attendant hearings to allow the Council to take action that will provide necessary revenue in the 2007 fiscal year.

· Adjusting the hours of the golf course clubhouse restaurant. · Taking a pro-active role in the rehabilitation of the Bath House. · Considering addition of parking meters in the vicinity of Lovers Point. · Increasing Parking enforcement staff. · Considering a Landscaping Lighting District to cover cost of street lighting, street trees, forest maintenance, tree crew, arborist and economic revitalization improvements. (Reduce liability, stimulate investment and absentee owners pay too.) · Considering an increase in Sales Tax. (One percent increase yields about one hundred seventy thousand dollars. I favor a five-year imposition with voter review.) · Considering a nominal Parcel Tax for Public Safety Services. (Absentee owners pay too.) · Pursue Assessment District procedures to finance needed street repairs and beautification improvements with incentives for participating property owners. · Conduct a comprehensive cost analysis and fee study based upon distribution of labor, amortization of physical improvement replacement, equipment and related capital improvement costs. · Speed up permit processing and accelerate collection of fees.

I do not favor a property transfer tax. Although not opposed to the concept of a TOT increase, I do not favor a TOT increase unless our neighboring visitor oriented peninsula cities do so as well.

The beauty of a Landscaping Lighting District is that each year the City must adopt a budget of what it wishes to do and there must be a hearing. It is not a fixed long term percentage and will fund only specific needs approved.