July LiveWire

Posted on July 5, 2017


CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE

Sean Rabé, City Manager

With Summer comes the Town’s new fiscal year – which begins July 1. In preparation for the new fiscal year, the City Council approves the Town’s annual budget in June. The annual budget hearing is the culmination of many months of hard work by Colma staff, and the document reflects the Council’s commitment to providing high quality services to our residents.

The good news is that the Town’s financial picture continues to be very stable. This is due in no small part to the City Council’s financial prudence, which has left us with a surplus of revenue over operating expenditures of about $1.6 million this year. Staff will be bringing back a plan to Council to address the Town’s ongoing unfunded liabilities that will put the Town in an even-more favorable financial state.

Total revenues in all funds are projected to be approximately $18.83 million. Total expenditures for all funds are at $31.13 million, comprised of $15.33 million in Operating Expenditures and $15.80 million in Capital Improvement Projects. An additional $1.19 million in General Fund resources will be transferred to finance Capital Improvement Projects and debt service. The largest single revenue is Sales Tax, which in FY 2017-18 represents 63 percent of the total General Fund revenue. Sales Tax in FY 2017-18 is estimated at $11.15 million – an increase of approximately $400,000 (or 4 percent) compared to the FY 2016-17 Amended Budget.

Cardroom Taxes are the second largest source representing 23 percent of General Fund revenue. The FY 2017-18 Adopted Budget assumes the Town will receive $4.12 million, which is $70,000 more than current estimates for FY 2016-17.

The FY 2017-18 Adopted Budget provides $15.03 million in funding to operating departments, approximately $297,000 to Debt Service and $15.80 million to the CIP for a total of approximately $31.13 million. These expenditures are approximately $888,000 less than the FY 2016-17 Amended Budget.

Finally, this will be my last LiveWire article. I have accepted a Town Manager position with another city, and my last day with Colma was June 28th. I wanted to take a moment to thank each of you for all of your support and friendship during my tenure here – this really is a special community, full of great people. I also couldn’t have asked for a better staff to work with, and I appreciate everyone’s help these past few years. They say the hardest part of leaving any job is leaving the people behind that you have created relationships with, and that certainly is true. Not only is it Great To Be Alive in Colma, it is also Great To Work in Colma. I’ll always cherish my time here.

 COLMA POLICE DEPARTMENT UPDATE

Kirk Stratton, Chief of Police

The summer months are upon us and many of you will be away from your homes on vacation or other outings. The Colma Police Department offers vacation checks of your residence. You can call the police department business line at 650-997-8321 or go to the Town of Colma website at www.colma.ca.gov to complete the vacation watch form. This is also a good time to take advantage of your Neighborhood Watch Program. Having a trusted neighbor look after your home will allow you to enjoy your time away without having to worry.

Speaking of Neighborhood Watch, we are looking for leaders in each of the neighborhoods to be Block Captains. Currently, there are Block Captains on B Street, D Street, Verano and Hoffman Villa.

If you think you might be interested, it’s as easy as following the outline located on the Neighborhood Watch link located on the Police Department website. You can also contact Commander Sherwin Lum – Phone: 650-997-8336 – Email: Sherwin.Lum@colma.ca.gov for further information.

Don’t forget to sign up for SMC ALERT.

SMC Alert is a software application used to send emergency alerts, notifications and updates to your cell phone, mobile device, home phone, work and/or e-mail account. In the event of an emergency, public safety agencies such as police and fire will be able to provide emergency information directly to you. All you have to do is sign up for a SMC Alert account.

Each person may sign up for a SMC Alert account. You can add multiple devices (cell phones, smartphones, tablets and email addresses) to your SMC Alert account. Alerts can be sent to all devices listed in your SMC Alert account. In an emergency situation an alert may be sent by emergency response agencies by text, email or voice recording to your mobile device, home or business phone.

For more information and frequently asked questions (FAQ’S) please visit our website at www.colma.ca.gov.

Stay safe and have a great Summer!

View the rest of the July edition here: July LiveWire

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