A key factor in effectively addressing Pasadena’s budget issues is community input. To assist in this effort, a budgetary overview video has been developed and can be accessed by selecting the video below. The budgetary overview provides some of the basics regarding municipal budgeting and an update of Pasadena’s fiscal year 2011 budget. After viewing the video, we invite you to provide comments and/or suggestions relating to ways Pasadena can reduce expenses and/or enhance revenues to strike the best balance between fiscal responsibility and effective service provision.
The American economy is slowing emerging from the worst economic recession in roughly 80 years. While the recession has technically ended and the economy is once again growing, it has been tepid and many of the effects of the recession persist, including high unemployment, particularly in California which stands at 12.6% against a national average of 9.7% for March 2010, home foreclosures, and reduced consumer spending which normally accounts for about 70% of the economy. Despite massive economic stimulus at the Federal-level, projected economic growth remains low and fears of a double-dip recession or other events such as a foreclosure crisis in the commercial property market remain. School districts, state and local governments across the nation have felt these effects in dramatic fashion. The reduction of services to the public has become common place, as has layoffs, furloughs and wage concessions on the part of public employees.
Unfortunately, and as reported during the numerous budget updates presented to the Council and community over the past year, many key revenue sources have continued to fall short of original estimates, thus widening the gap that must be closed. This will require an even closer examination of existing operations to determine what programs and initiatives may have to be scaled back or discontinued.
As mentioned previously, the input of the community will play a key role in developing a budget spending plan that is both doable and meets the needs of the community.
Your comments are very much appreciated.
Fiscal Year 2011
On June 21, 2010, the City Council adopted the FY2011 General Fee Schedule. The General Fee Schedule is reviewed annually by the City Council to determine if there should be increases or decreases based on the cost of providing services, if new fees for new services are warranted, and if certain fees should be eliminated. Fees may also be held constant or increased by an amount equal to the change in the consumer price index (CPI) for the Los Angeles-Orange-Riverside counties for the preceding 12 month period ending March 1. Due to the poor economic condition, the City Council held all fees in the FY2011 general fee schedule to the FY2010 level (No CPI increases). The only changes between the fiscal year 2010 and fiscal year 2011 fee schedules are fees related to new services or to reflect costs that would otherwise result in an unfunded expense to the City.
The Schedule of Taxes, Fees and Charges approved for Fiscal Year 2011 do not include the CPI increase that is proposed under the City’s Municipal Code. City Council took the action to reject the CPI based increases across all taxes, fees and charges governed by the Pasadena Municipal Code for FY 2011. This combined with the action in December 2009 to keep the Rose Bowl admission tax, grandstand seat surcharge, and grandstand permit application fee the same results in all fees, taxes, and charges on this schedule remaining the same as the prior year.
Go to Department of Finance to View General Fees and Tax Schedules