Values of the City of Coral Gables

April 15, 2011 Leave a comment

Today I was reminded by the program handout  the Investiture Ceremony of the essential list our city government’s values.

They are:

Accessibility

Accountability

Competency

Dedication

Innovation

Integrity

Loyalty

Responsiveness

Missing, I think, are Community Participation, Transparency and Openness.

Filed under Community, Coral Gables, Government

(Repeated) A City Agenda For Coral Gables

April 15, 2011 Leave a comment

This is the list of issues, problems and ideas that might form part of an Agenda for the City of Coral Gables.

  • Prepare and discuss an overall NEW AGENDA for the City of Coral Gables to face the major pending problems, such as unfunded benefits, taxation, staffing and organization;
  • City Manager should routinely report to taxpayers progress on the budget and organizational changes;
  • The city needs a new Code of Ethics;
  • Change the election dates for Coral Gables to coincide with national and state elections.
  • Prepare and publicly discussion a long-range financial plan for the City of Coral Gables
  • Target a freeze and/or reduce actual amount of taxes paid by citizens (not millage rates) during the next three years;
  • Accelerate a plan of reducing pensions and health benefits, especially for firefighters and police;
  • Prepare a plan and publicly discuss how to reduce unfunded pension liabilities during the next five years;
  • Have a community town hall meeting at least twice a year to discuss the budget and other current issues;
  • Develop a realistic and flexible agreement with the Biltmore that protects the taxpayers not just now, but in the coming years;
  • Undertake a review of financial mechanisms and the defective EDEN system to establish a modern, functional accounting of spending and revenues.

Filed under Coral Gables, Finance, Government, Management, Organization, Pensions

Proposal: Create a COMMUNITY CONVERSATION in the City of Coral Gables

April 14, 2011 1 Comment

This a modest proposal to establis a monthly or bi-monthly meeting of the city of Coral Gables called the COMMUNITY CONVERSATION (or other relevant name).  This would be a regular meeting attended alternatively by the mayor, one or more commissioners, the city manager and senior staff.

The purpose of the meetings would be to hear presentations by the city manager, mayor or senior staff on important city issues and to get community feedback in an atmosphere of civility and organized conversation.  The agenda could be highly focused or there would be sessions of a general nature.  All meetings would be open to individuals and organizations of the community.

This COMMUNITY CONVERSATION would satisfy an urgent need to create an open and ongoing forum where citizens can make informal comments and proposals to the city.  This might evolve into a regular place of civil exchange of opinions about the future of the city.

Filed under Community, Coral Gables, Government

Welcome Messrs. Cason, Quesada and Kerdyk: A List of Some of Your Considerable Challenges

April 14, 2011 1 Comment

Congratulations to Messrs. Cason, Quesada and Kerdyk.  Thank you for your willingness to take on the big issues of the city of Coral Gables.

We trust you will forge hard questions about the considerable problems we are facing.

Here are a few big challenges for the near term:

  • Shift the financial and institutional  leadership back to the commission from the city manager.  This means more commission involvement in pension reform, financial planning and organizational restructuring.
  • Create true financial transparency, not hiding audits, honesty about reserves, no more games with the budget–people are expecting no more tax increases.
  • Do some minimal long-term financial planning.
  • Introduce new practices of citizen involvement and participation.
  • You need to think the unthinkable.   Shouldn’t the city  consider the full range of alternatives for the Biltmore, including its semi-privatization or its return to the federal government, with all of its liabilities (I know, that’s unthinkable).  Can the city cannot continue with the Biltmore as a large financial albatross–let’s hear a serious discussion of this in the commission.
  • Take a hard look at the city’s public security costs.  Will the commission and city manager please evaluate publicaly the police and firefighter needs at a technical and administrative level, rather treating these services as “untouchables.”
  • Pension reform requires an active commission with clear goals and plans, not just piecemeal negotiations.
  • The city seems to be stuck with a nonfunctional museum that may need its permanent financial support.  Can someone make an open and honest appraisal of what is going on at the museum.
  • Miracle Mile now denotes a certain declining quality in its retail businesses, rather than it being a leading and dynamic retail center.  Miracle Mile has lost its way–can we get an objective view of that before we spend millions on its so-called “streetscape.”

Filed under Business and Commerce, Community, Coral Gables, Employees and Unions, Finance, Government, Management, Property Values

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