City Council Priorities Workshop
This week’s City Council study session agenda is short (“other items of interest,” agenda review, and closed labor negotiations), but they will be putting in some extra hours this weekend. This Saturday the Council will be gathering at the Center for Urban Waters to discuss their 2012-2013 priorities in an all day special meeting.
The Council’s priorities serve as a roadmap for the next couple years, setting the direction for City policies, and giving direction to staff on where to focus time, energy, and money. In light of budget cuts and resulting layoffs (which aren’t over yet), it will be more important than ever for the Council to prioritize carefully, since time, energy, and money are certain to all be at a premium.
Budget-balancing and changes to ensure Tacoma’s economic future are certain to head the Council’s list this time around. We heard some citizens speak about what matters to them at last week’s Citizens’ Forum, including neighborhood safety for residents of the Hilltop, protecting a neighborhood park, positive engagement between Occupy Tacoma and the government, and defending same-sex marriage.
What would you put on your list for priorities for the next 2 years? Education? Public safety? Economic development? Economic justice? Bringing a professional sports team to Tacoma? What do you hope to see the Council put at the top of its list of priorities?
Filed under: City-Council, budget
1 comments
2 2Big February 21, 2012
I feel there are many valuable programs, services and issues for the council to prioritize. One that sits very close to my heart is supporting our local Farmers Market and farming in Pierce County.
Aside from providing Tacoma with the healthiest and freshest locally grown food, the markets do much more for our community. It acts as a space for local farmers, cheesemakers, bakers and other small businesses to make a living. That money is recycled back into our local community several times over.
It also serves as a gathering space that builds our community and energizes our neighborhoods. Our markets support a social change to buy local, eat in season, love your fellow Tacomans and rebuild our food system.
Support our farmers, invest in our markets.