AUGUST 19, 2011
MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL, AS THE 2011 FISCAL YEAR DRAWS TO A CLOSE AND WE SUBMIT OUR FY 2012 BUDGET, THE CITY OF MONTGOMERY’S FINANCIAL CONDITION IS BETTER TODAY THAN IT HAS BEEN IN SEVERAL YEARS FOLLOWING THE GREAT RECESSION. OUR PRIMARY REVENUE STREAMS ARE SHOWING MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENT COMPARED TO THE LAST TWO YEARS. SALES TAX RECEIPTS FROM SAME STORE RESULTS ARE UP MORE THAN FOUR PERCENT OVER LAST YEAR; AND NEW REVENUES FROM BUSINESSES LOCATED IN OUR POLICE JURISDICTION AND THE SHARED TAX DISTRICT WITH THE TOWN OF PIKE ROAD PUT OUR REVENUE GROWTH UP OVER FOUR MILLION DOLLARS. IN ADDITION, WE ARE REALIZING INCREASES IN TOURISM-GENERATED INCOME WITH LODGING REVENUES UP THREE PERCENT, AS THE CITY’S HOTELS ENJOY IMPROVED OCCUPANCY RATES. MONTGOMERY’S PERFORMANCE IN JOB CREATION IS TOPS IN THE STATE. IN 2010, NEW AND EXISTING INDUSTRIES CREATED MORE THAN 1,500 NEW EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. TODAY, ONLY ABOUT 250 OF THOSE CREATED JOBS ARE IN THE WORKFORCE, WHICH LEAVES GREAT EXPANSION IN THE COMING MONTHS. LATER THIS YEAR, HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUSTRIES WILL COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION OF ITS NEW PLANT AND IT WILL BE THE HOME FOR UP TO 1,000 PEOPLE, BRINGING MORE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO OUR AREA. IT IS NO WONDER THE ALABAMA DEVELOPMENT OFFICE NAMED MONTGOMERY AS TOPS IN ALABAMA FOR CREATING NEW JOBS SUCCESSFUL JOB CREATION IS THE PRODUCT OF TEAMWORK AMONG CITY, COUNTY, STATE AND CHAMBER OFFICIALS, COUPLED WITH A PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM FOCUSED ON PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THE FUTURE. TO INCREASE THIS EFFORT, A STATE-OF-THE-ART ADVANCED MANUFACTURING CAREER ACADEMY, A ONE MILLION DOLLAR FACILITY, WILL BE LOCATED AT THE NEW CARVER HIGH SCHOOL, FUNDED BY THE CITY, AND WILL HAVE A TREMENDOUS EFFECT AS IT TRAINS A WHOLE GENERATION OF FUTURE WORKERS. WHILE WE ARE NOT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OR SUPERINTENDENT, WE KNOW “SO GOES EDUCATION, SO GOES MONTGOMERY”. THAT IS WHY WE HAVE INVESTED IN OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. FOR THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR, MONTGOMERY PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE IMPROVED THEIR GRADUATION RATE AND NOW SURPASS THE STATE AVERAGE. TWO HIGH SCHOOLS, L.A.M.P AND B.T.W., ARE RECEIVING PRAISE FROM NATIONAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT ON ADVANCED PLACEMENT TESTS. TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS ARE MAKING GREAT STRIDES IN A.P. PERFORMANCE AS WELL. TWO OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, T.S. MORRIS AND E.D. NIXON HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED ALABAMA TORCHBEARER SCHOOLS. THIS DISTINCTION IS BASED ON HAVING MORE THAN 80 PERCENT OF THEIR STUDENTS RECEIVING FREE OR REDUCED LUNCH, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME HAVING AT LEAST 80 PERCENT OF THE STUDENT BODY EXCEL ON STANDARDIZED TESTS. WE ARE MAKING POSITIVE PROGRESS IN EDUCATION, BUT THERE IS MORE WORK TO BE DONE. IN SPITE OF MONTGOMERY’S ECONOMIC GOOD FORTUNES, IT IS CRUCIAL THAT WE MAINTAIN OUR POSTURE OF FINANCIAL RESTRAINT WHILE OUR REVENUES ARE CLIMBING, TWO EXPENSE AREAS ARE CLIMBING AS WELL; RETIREMENT FUNDING AND HEALTH CARE COSTS. THESE TWO CATEGORIES ARE EATING UP OUR REVENUE GROWTH. WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEEK NEW AND INNOVATIVE PLANS AND PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS THESE BENEFITS AREAS WHILE PROTECTING OUR EMPLOYEE BODY. DUE TO THESE INCREASES WE MUST MAINTAIN A POLICY OF “LEVEL LIVING” FOR THE COMING YEAR. IN ADDITION, THE DIRECTION OF OUR NATIONAL AND STATE ECONOMIES, WHICH AFFECTS US SIGNIFICANTLY, IS UNCERTAIN AT THIS TIME. WE MUST GUARD AGAINST AGGRESSIVE SPENDING, IN THE EVENT WE DO NOT GROW AS DESIRED. THIS DIRECTIVE FOR CONTROLLED SPENDING WILL NOT DISTRACT US FROM OUR VISION OF SUSTAINING A SAFE, VIBRANT AND GROWING MONTGOMERY IN ITS ENTIRETY, THAT WE ALL CAN BE PROUD TO CALL HOME. PUBLIC SAFETY IS A KEY AREA IN WHICH WE WILL STRIVE TO CONTINUE OUR PROGRESS. THE CRIME RATE IN OUR CITY IS AT 20 YEAR LOWS. FIRE/RESCUE RESPONSE TIMES CONTINUE TO GET QUICKER. IN THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT, OUR DEDICATED STAFF ANSWER 9-1-1 CALLS AND DISPATCH OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, AND IS NOW STAFFED WITH ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONALS, WHICH WILL SHARPLY REDUCE OVERTIME AND PROVIDE RELIEF FROM THE STRESS OF EXTENDED WORKDAYS AND ABNORMALLY LONG WORKWEEKS. OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH TWO YEARS AGO SERVED AND PROTECTED US WITH 496 UNIFORMED OFFICERS, NOW DEPLOYS 524, THE LARGEST NUMBER OF SWORN OFFICERS IN OUR CITY’S HISTORY. IMPROVED STAFFING GIVES US THE ABILITY TO HAVE AN INCREASED MPD PRESENCE ON WEST FAIRVIEW AVENUE, AND IN THE FORMER MONTGOMERY MALL, CO-LOCATED WITH A NEW FIRE STATION WITH INCREASED CAPABILITIES. THESE HIGH-PROFILE VANTAGE POINTS WILL SERVE AS DETERRENTS TO CRIME AND IMPROVE OUR FIRE AND MEDICAL RESPONSES. THE CITY’S PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS WILL ALSO MAINTAIN THEIR HIGH SERVICE STANDARDS WHILE FOLLOWING THE “LEVEL LIVING” GUIDELINE. A LOFTY TARGET IN THE PUBLIC WORKS REALM IS THE CREATION OF A MULTI-YEAR PLAN THAT WILL SYSTEMATICALLY AND COMPREHENSIVELY UPGRADE ALL 78 MILES OF CITY STREETS THAT ARE CURRENTLY RATED AS POOR. STREET PAVING IS EXPENSIVE, BUT IS A KEY QUALITY OF LIFE INDICATOR FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. OUR SANITATION DEPARTMENT, WHICH PROVIDES CITIZENS WITH NUMEROUS POINTS OF CONTACT EACH WEEK, WILL HOLD STEADY AT PRESENT LEVELS, BUT WITH NEWER AND MORE EFFICIENT EQUIPMENT. IN THE NEAR FUTURE, MONTGOMERY WILL INITIATE THE PROCESS TO RESUME FULL-SCALE RECYCLING. THE CITY WILL PARTNER WITH A VENDOR WHO WILL USE CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY TO HARVEST RECYCLABLES FROM THE WASTE STREAM. WHEN IT’S COMPLETE, THE NEW SYSTEM WILL ENSURE FULL PARTICIPATION WITH THE CONTENTS OF EVERY CONTAINER BEING SCREENED. COMPARED TO THE ORANGE BAG SYSTEM OF A FEW YEARS AGO, MORE RECYCLABLE MATERIAL WILL BE DIVERTED FROM THE LANDFILL. WE WILL BE MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AND ENHANCE OUR GOAL OF BEING A GREEN CITY. IN 2012, LEISURE SERVICES WILL EXECUTE ITS MISSION OF GIVING MONTGOMERY RESIDENTS AND VISITORS AN ENHANCED, ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE. WHILE OPERATING WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF “LEVEL LIVING” THE GOAL OF LEISURE SERVICES IS TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MONTGOMERIANS TO ENGAGE IN RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND ALSO ENTICE VISITORS TO OUR CITY. HOSTING ATHLETIC CONTESTS IS A LUCRATIVE ENDEAVOR. VISTING ATHLETES, COACHES AND RELATIVES INJECT HUGE SUMS INTO THE CITY. ONE OF THE NATIONAL SOFTBALL TOURNAMENTS THE CITY HOSTED RECENTLY HAD AN ESTIMATED ECONOMIC IMPACT OF 3-5 MILLION DOLLARS. THE UPGRADE OF ATHLETIC VENUES, UNDERWRITTEN WITH BOND MONEY, IS POSITIONING THE CAPITAL OF DREAMS TO REAP THE BENEFITS OF SPORTS TOURISM. THIS EFFORT IS BEING LED BY THE CENTRAL ALABAMA SPORTS COMMISSION, OUR PARKS AND RECREATION ORGANIZATION AND THE CHAMBER’S CONVENTION AND VISITOR BUREAU. IN THE UPCOMING YEAR, MONTGOMERY WILL CONTINUE TO PURSUE SEVERAL OVER-ARCHING PRIORITIES THAT ARE SIGNIFICANT IN SCOPE AND PURPOSE. THE WEST FAIRVIEW CORRIDOR IS ONE OF MONTGOMERY’S MOST IMPORTANT GATEWAYS. IT’S PART OF THE SELMA TO MONTGOMERY VOTING RIGHTS TRAIL AND AN ARTERY THAT LEADS TO CLOVERDALE AND HUNTINGDON COLLEGE. AT THE I-65 EXIT TO FAIRVIEW, THE FIRST SIGHT TO GREET MOTORISTS WILL BE A PARK AT THE GENETTA CREEK; A TRANQUIL PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO CONVENE WITH NATURE, STRETCH THEIR LEGS AND RELAX. IN ADDITION, PRIVATE INVESTORS ARE PLANNING A SERVICE AND FOOD COMPLEX TO ASSIST MOTORISTS. JUST A FEW BLOCKS AWAY, LANIER PLACE OFFERS AFFORDABLE HOMES THAT WILL BOOST PROPERTY STABILIZATION IN THE AREA. THE CITY’S DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS WILL PLACE THE DREAM OF HOME OWNERSHIP WITHIN THE REACH OF MORE MONTGOMERY FAMILIES. THE WEST FAIRVIEW NEIGHBORHOOD WILL BE FURTHER ENHANCED WITH A COMPREHENSIVE STREETSCAPING PROJECT. IT WILL FEATURE THE RE-LOCATION OF OVERHEAD POWER LINES, THE ADDITION OF GREENERY, INSTALLATION OF UNIFORM SIDEWALKS AND A MAJOR RESURFACING OF THE ROADWAY. IT WILL USHER IN THE TRANSFORMATION OF THIS IMPORTANT AREA THAT PROVIDES THOUSANDS OF MOTORISTS EACH DAY WITH THEIR FIRST IMPRESSION OF OUR CITY. FOR YEARS, THE DECLINE OF THE MONTGOMERY MALL HAS BEEN A TOP CONCERN AND CHALLENGE. 2012 WILL SEE REAL PROGRESS TOWARD THE RE-PURPOSING OF THIS 440,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY THAT SERVES AS THE NUCLEUS OF SOUTHEAST MONTGOMERY AND THE SOUTHERN AND EASTERN BYPASS AREA. THE CITY REMAINS POISED TO ASSIST IN THE RE-DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPERTY, AS DEVELOPERS CONTINUE THEIR DUE DILIGENCE TOWARD OWNERSHIP OF THE MALL’S LARGEST PARCEL. THE FORMER STEVE AND BARRY’S STORE WILL BE THE NEW HOME OF THE FIRE/RESCUE DEPARTMENT’S NUMBER NINE FIREHOUSE. FOR TOO LONG FIRE PERSONNEL HAVE HAD TO OPERATE OUT OF A TEMPORARY STRUCTURE WHICH HAD BEEN PRESSED INTO PERMANENT STATUS. OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL ALSO ESTABLISH A PRESENCE IN THE BUILDING. IN ADDITION, AN INDOOR WALKING TRAIL, WITH EXERCISE STATIONS WILL BE A FEATURE AND WILL BE OPERATED BY THE MONTGOMERY AREA COUNCIL ON AGING. THE FORMER PARISIAN’S PROPERTY HAS ALREADY ATTRACTED A POTENTIAL BUYER,THAT WILL BRING NEW VITALITY TO THE AREA. THIS RE-DEVELOPMENT EFFORT WILL ENHANCE THE STABILIZATION GOAL FOR THIS AREA. NO CITY REACHES ITS FULL POTENTIAL WITHOUT HAVING STRONG NEIGHBORHOODS. SEVERAL MONTGOMERY COMMUNITIES ARE ALREADY ON THE PATH TO REVITALIZATION THANKS TO CHARRETTE EXERCISES THAT SOUGHT PUBLIC INPUT ABOUT THE FUTURE. BY SHARING THEIR VISION, FAMILIES IN THE CENTENNIAL HILL AND MAXWELL BOULEVARD COMMUNITIES HAVE GIVEN OUR PLANNING PERSONNEL A COMPASS TO GUIDE OUR RE-DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS. IN 2012, THE CHARRETTE PROCESS WILL BE UTILIZED FOR ATLANTA HIGHWAY TO HELP GUIDE ENHANCEMENT EFFORTS ALONG THAT CORRIDOR. THE CAPITAL OF DREAMS IS SUCCESSFULLY PREPARING FOR A FUTURE OF PROSPERITY AND OPPORTUNITY. OUR EMPLOYEES AND MANAGERS ARE DELIVERING SERVICES EFFICIENTLY AND EXCEPTIONALLY. 3-1-1 HAS BEEN TREMENDOUSLY SUCCESSFUL IN PROVIDING ACCESS TO OUR CITIZENS FOR SERVICE AND INFORMATION. THE 2012 BUDGET IS A BLUEPRINT THAT WILL HELP ENSURE MONTGOMERY FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES CONTINUE TO THRIVE AND CONTINUE TO STRIVE AND HELP US BUILD A BETTER MONTGOMERY. THE BUDGET INCLUDES MERIT INCREASES FOR DESERVING EMPLOYEES, AS WELL AS FUNDING FOR NEW EQUIPMENT TO RETIRE OLDER, WORN OUT AND HIGH MAINTENANCE PIECES. OUR “LEVEL LIVING” CONCEPT ENCOURAGES US TO LOOK FOR COST SAVINGS WHILE MAINTAINING OR IMPROVING OUR CORE SERVICES. WE CONTINUE TO ASK OUR ENTERPRISE ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS THE ZOO, MATS, HARRIOTT II RIVERBOAT, GOLF COURSES AND FOOD SERVICES TO CLOSE THE SPENDING GAP. IN 2011, WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN REDUCING THE SUBSIDY BY APPROXIMATELY ONE MILLION DOLLARS AND WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THIS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. OUR RE-VITALIZATION EFFORTS ON LOWER DEXTER AVENUE WILL BE ENHANCED WITH A NEW FIVE MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT, FUNDED WITH STATE MONIES, TO PROVIDE STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS FROM THE FOUNTAIN TO THE CAPITOL. MAXWELL BOULEVARD, CENTENNIAL HILL AND THE BYPASS AREAS WILL BE FOCUS AREAS AS WE CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS TO ADDRESS THE ENTIRETY OF MONTGOMERY. THIS BUDGET ALSO INCREASES OUR RESERVES BY ONE TO TWO MILLION DOLLARS TO IMPROVE OUR FINANCIAL WELL-BEING FOR THE FUTURE. THE TOTAL BUDGET ANTICIPATES 222-MILLION DOLLARS IN REVENUE AND A CORRESPONDING, BALANCED BUDGET SPENDING PLAN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR RESPONSIBLE SPENDING, AS TOGETHER WE NOT ONLY MAKE MONTGOMERY THE “CAPITAL OF DREAMS”, BUT ALSO THE CITY FOR SUCCESS. TODD STRANGE MAYOR Click HERE to view 2012 Proposed Operating & Debt Service Budget