HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-31-11 Common Council Meeting Agenda
OFFICIAL NOTICE OF MEETING
A Special meeting of Common Council will be held on Monday, January 31, 2011 at
6:00 p.m. in Common Council Chambers, City Hall, 108 East Green Street, Ithaca. Your
attendance is requested
AGENDA
1. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:
2. SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS:
2.1 Budget Strategy Session
The City will likely face the most difficult budgetary challenges that it has seen in
decades. A worst case scenario could include a 2% property tax cap (or the CPI, which
ever is lower) on the levy with no exclusions, possible reductions in state aid, and it
remains unknown if any significant mandate relief will become available. Add to this
scenario the expected increase in pension and health insurance costs, and 2012 could
bring a deficit of 3.5 million dollars.
This meeting will be a structured conversation around the following questions:
• What are your priorities for the city?
• What is your philosophy defining our core, essential services?
• What do you feel is your constituency's strongest needs for city services?
• How will/should the city look 5 years from now?
• What information might you need to lay out a strategy plan?
We will start as a round table discussion with each of you speaking on these topics,
approximately 5 minutes each. We will then discuss various ideas, record requests for
additional material, and plan our next step/meeting.
Please note the electronic attachments that provide back-up information. Hard copies
are available upon request. The New York State Conference of Mayor’s website:
www.stopthetaxshift.org also has additional information for your review.
3. NEW BUSINESS:
4. ADJOURNMENT
If you have a disability that will require special arrangements to be made in order for you
to fully participate in the meeting, please contact the City Clerk at 274-6570 at least 48
hours before the meeting.
______________________________
Julie Conley Holcomb, CMC
City Clerk
Dated: January 27, 2011