Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

A Message From Mayor Tilghman


On Saturday October 13th the City Council and I joined the City Administrator and
Assistant City Administrator for our annual goal setting session. The entire Council with the exception of Debbie Campbell spent over four hours discussing, in an informal setting, the goals that we see as important for the fiscal year that will begin in July 2008.

The session is well in advance of the time when the goals will guide our work plan, but not too far in advance of the development of that work plan. The goals will be refined over the next few weeks as they circulate among us all and then they will go to the different City departments to be transformed into a tangible allocation of manpower and funding requests for the budget for Fiscal Year ’09. That process begins in earnest before the first of the year. These goals are invaluable to the City staff as they offer a blue print of Council and Mayor’s hopes for advancing the interests of the citizens we represent.

The goals this year included:

• The development of a comprehensive environmental policy
• Continued emphasis on growth management
• Enhancing neighborhoods
• Focus on inclusive housing and children’s activities
• Promoting regular and open communication with our citizens
• Developing & diversifying opportunities to reduce the burden on the City taxpayer
• Enhance the motivation & effectiveness of the City workforce

The important element in these sessions is the joint nature of the work we do. Now as the staff fleshes out the details of the goals for our further consideration, primarily during the budget process, they understand that these goals represent out mutual commitment to these areas of community life. In addition to the over-arching goals listed above, we also discussed a number of specific elements we want to see included in staff focus. It was exciting to review the work we have done over the past year and to see the successful programs and policies we have initiated to accomplish our current year goals. It was challenging to look at the areas where we have not accomplished as much as we would have liked. Going through this process each year helps us focus our resources more effectively and keeps us on track. We can measure our work each day against the question: How is this helping to accomplish the City’s goals?

This year it was even more exciting that several residents took time to attend and watch the most basic part of our representative democracy in action. More information will follow once the goals are finalized and the staff begins work on them.

14 comments:

Tim Chaney said...

Reduce the burden on taxpayers? How about rescinding the 14% tax hike?

What good are goal setting sessions when we never get an audit or budget presented on time? Just a lot of hot air passed around.

How about a goal to have a timely audit and budget?

dan said...

How did you get a copy of this? Were you actually on the press release list from her office? Did you get a copy sent to you?

Just curious. With your less-than-cordial relationship, it is surprising that you would be used as a forum to distribute info.

Anonymous said...

The word "watch" speaks volumes, no room for citizen input in this city.

Anonymous said...

• Promoting regular and open communication with our citizens

Just who the hell is she trying to fool, now? No one is buying this one Barrie, especially after Louise Smiths written reprimand and threats of violating the First Amendment rights of Dot Truitt.

Barrie, take my advise. Go fly a kite and take your flying monkeys with you.

Donna

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I'd like to see some of that open government. How long would you like us to hold our breath?

LadyLibertarian said...

It's just a bunch of bullshit designed to smooth the ruffled feathers of the voters and prepare them for the line of "if you want the strategic plan to work, you'll have to trust us and reelect us."

What a crock. Good luck, Barrie. Hope you like retirement.

Anonymous said...

Dan:

Would you believe that Joe was Duvall's "COEIU" until they had their falling out (about the time that Duvafiles became a repeater, not reporter of news)?

I'll bet it was Joe who hacked Barrie's PC, too. The man is a real technonerd.

ROTFLMAO!

Anonymous said...

Oh, THIS pisses me off! First, she can't resist a slam at Debbie Campbell, who I learned through a friend wasn't there due to WORK but DID submit an extensive list of ideas.

Second, a "representative democracy"? Representative of who, exactly? These creeps have tried to shut us up at the podium, have tried to excommunicate OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES (yep, I voted for Campbell and Cohen both, thank GOD!), and can't even fulfill a lousy information request about bottled water on time!

Then there was the "read my lips the audit is done" b.s. Well, it's late again, Barrie and Louise!

You bet I could go on, but this unprofessional pat ourselves on the back while we screw the citizens is about enough to make anyone throw up.

Dan, it must be on the city's website. I rarely go there, but I think the mayor has a message section on it so we read b.s. like this on a regular basis.

Anonymous said...

Dan:

Check out the mayor's messages section of the City's blog. That began within the last year -- during the election this spring as I recall, when Barrie posted several tirades. Since then it was pretty dormant, but during the past month or so has seen a number of puff pieces about how great things are. It's something for Lore Chambers to do in her new position.

dan said...

Thanks for the direction, everyone. At first I thought the piece was satire written by Joe, but then after read it again for details I realized that it was horribly true.

Uugh. Term Limits, anyone?

Anonymous said...

Recall, anyone?

Anonymous said...

Dan:

Check out Lore Chambers' shoes and garb -- bet in most weeks it costs more than you earn in a month!

Tim Chaney said...

Damn Shanie took up the whole couch. I guess a chair wouldn't really hold her.

She always leans way back in that council chair, I'm waiting for the day the chair busts and she's on her back with the cell phone calling a lawyer to sue the city~!

Anonymous said...

• Enhance the motivation & effectiveness of the City workforce


Easily done, give the public works dept. an equal raise as the police and firefighters...people don't realize that the wastewater and water operators and the public works people have to have extensive training and MUST pass a state exam to become certified operators and MUST do many hours of training to keep those licenses so don't go telling people about how much training the police and firefighters have to do when I would bet the operators have to put in MUCH more time to satify state requirements!

Pay these people what they are worth!


Smokey