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San Bernardino County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
Smart Voter

Upland's Finances

By Carol S. Timm

Candidate for Member, City Council; City of Upland

This information is provided by the candidate
What do you perceive to be the biggest problem facing the city?
My first priority is addressing the city budget. Every effort should be made to keep crucial services to our citizens. Encourage revenue generating commercial expansion, and reduce spending through each department to address the deficit. City government should pursue retaining more tax dollars paid by Upland citizens to State and Federal government. Aggressive marketing of our city is now more important than ever to increase business and become more business friendly. Continue a hiring freeze and form a cost-saving union+management committee involving one person from each union and jointly recommend ways to save money to avoid more layoffs. Update user fees and charges to reflect the actual cost of the service. Consider employee work furloughs and more early retirement programs. Management and union representatives can agree to open labor negotiations to discuss various cost reduction and expense deferral options. City employees should pay their fair share of their pensions.

The council could consider consolidation and merging of departments within the City to save money because public safety, city planning and public works are a priority. Police and Fire merging and Planning and Public Works consolidation could be explored for City cost cutting; merger of Police and Fire under the umbrella of a Public Safety Director/Department. This was actually successfully done a few years ago when Police Chief Thouvenall was temporarily appointed the Public Safety Director. Merger of Planning and Public Works under the umbrella of Community Development Director/Department could be done as an interim measure until such time when the budget will once again allow each department to be on its own again. Each department and the essential functions they provide are critical to the city's future.

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ca/sbo Created from information supplied by the candidate: November 2, 2012 14:59
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