Fiscal Solvency Policy

By Wendy B. (Brooks) Leece

A healthy functioning city requires both a fiscally stable budget and an environmentally stable community, which I define as a low crime --- high economic opportunity community. The key is to balance budgetary decisions in a manner such that neither budget nor community stability suffers. This will require creative minds and collaborative spirits among city council members to develop sound fiscal policies that enhance not deter from a positive community experience.

It will take a disciplined and committed team of nonpartisan city council members to put aside party talking points in order to develop a budgetary plan that will prove solvent and simultaneously benefit the people of Costa Mesa. The first step to securing a sound budget is careful consideration of all aspects within each new proposal/contract; whereby votes for or against it should be determined on the unique strengths and weaknesses of each budgetary request. This will require comprehensive cost-benefit analysis; where the council members examine all direct and indirect short-term and long-term costs and benefits through the vision of both telescopic and microscopic lenses. This will ensure that every aspect of the budgetary request will be thoroughly analyzed to how the benefits outweigh the costs. For example: it is important to consider any negative impact on the community as a result of not granting the funds, which could prove to have future costs and imminent destabilization of the entire city budget.Should city council members review proposals with politically myopic vision they risk casting erroneous votes for or against a proposals/contract that might lead to unstable budget and/or unhealthy environment for our constituents to reside. I promise those I serve that I will commit thorough evaluation of every budgetary request considering both fiscal solvency and community safety and satisfaction.