Sound Fiscal Policies

By Pamela Gross

The City of Loveland must continue moving forward in implementing fiscally sound policies regarding our budget.

We must be innovative and creative with our ideas. We can go about this in several ways:

Consolidate services that lend themselves to joint cost savings; the success of the Loveland-Symmes fire department is a model for this type of consolidation. There are many services such as IT that this type of cooperation with other municipalities would work effectively.

Develop partnerships with the business community to sponsor quality of life events such as parades, fireworks and the downtown flower program.

Expand the tax base by instituting a pro-business plan and pursue a "smart" and focused economic development program. The City of Loveland must be viewed as a pro-business community.

Since income tax is the city's primary revenue stream institute measures to ensure the tax code is applied fairly and equitably.

By instituting many of these policies there will be no cuts in the services citizens deem essential and no increases in the current tax rate.