• Budget Workshop 2019

It was a light crowd at the March 27th, 2019 budget workshop. The total number of residents could have been counted on Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown's pitching hand. 

But I did livestream this on Facebook, and as of 9:40am the next day, the stats say that three have been 275 views. 

It's not easy to know what the numbers really mean...
coming from facebook and all, but this is what they tell me.

Below is a link to the video

It's on facebook and you probably have to have a facebook account to access it. I tried downloading it so that I could edit it (I hate the vertical format) but when I put the file into my editing software the audio was way out of sync. 

Note to self: I'm going to need to bring my proper video camera along to these less formal meetings so I can capture better images with quality sound.

Items from the community included:
1) Wanting the city to invest in a better method of patching potholes.
2) When will improvements on the 27 acre park begin
3) Recover the 2018 CDBG funds that are being used to improve the sidewalks on Mission Trail at the north end of town.
4) Rebidding contract services that have been in place since the city was incorporated.

This is something I've had several people bring up to me, and I've been interested in the answer too.

The contracts of Interwest and PV Maintenance were specifically mentioned. Assistant city manager Dan York responded that "both of those contracts are still operating on 2009 unit costs."

There are times that putting such contracts out to bid can create cost increases where they could have stayed flat. (sleeping dogs and all that)

One example was of the park security contract. 

It had been humming along for the past several years at under $1000 a month. When the vendor was unable to continue fulfilling the contract, a RFP was sent out, and the new cost is more than $4000 a month.

5) Are we looking at Menifee and how they've started their own police department?

6) Pavement assessment. It's scheduled for the May city council meeting.

My thoughts on three people coming to a town hall meeting where the public's input was requested:
People are content with the direction the city is headed in. When people are content, they don't look to rock the boat.

Afterall, when people storm the castle, it's not to bring a dozen roses. 

There is still time for you to add your thoughts to the budget process. Posting your thoughts on facebook is good for sharing your ideas with your neighbors, but if you'd like to have your ideas be seen by those that can do something about them... well... 

Send your emails to Robert Howell and put "budget" in the subject line:

rhowell@cityofwildomar.org

To stay up on city news releases be sure that you're tied in with the various ways to stay connected.

You can sign up city for emails at this link

The city's facebook page is at this link

The link to my city council facebook page, where the video is located, is at this link

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My Best Friend is a person who will give me a book I have not read.
– Abraham Lincoln

Wildomar Rap would love to have a chance to give Honest Abe a copy of our CAFR and see if he doesn't revise that quote a tad.

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