HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 2007 1205 CC REG ITEM 10Q ACTION:
MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Honorable City Council
FROM: Hugh R. Riley, Assistant City Manager
DATE: November 27, 2007 (CC Meeting of 12/5/0 )
SUBJECT: Consider Results of Voter Opinion Poll Conducted Between
September 14 and September 23, 2007
DISCUSSION
On July 10, 2007 the City Council selected Godbe Research to conduct a Voter
Opinion Survey to Moorpark Voter support for possible revenue enhancements
and potential bond measures for the financing of public capital facilities. A final
report based on data collected by Godbe Research between September 14 and
September 24 was provided to the City Council on October 17, 2007.
A summary of the results is as follows:
SUMMERY OF SURVEY RESULTS
1. Moorpark voters expressed high satisfaction with the overall quality of life in
Moorpark and with the City's performance.
2. Voters were most satisfied with park maintenance, open space preservation
and police services.
3. Voters were least satisfied with traffic safety, planning and street
maintenance.
4. Survey results show insufficient voter support at this point for either a bond
measure or a business license tax.
5. A special assessment might be an option to consider.
6. A well organized public education effort could increase voter support.
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Honorable City Council
November 26, 2007
Page 2
7. Public education efforts should emphasize the most salient spending projects
to the voters including:
• Maintaining police services
• Ongoing youth and teen facilities, programs and services
• Maintaining exiting city parks
• Maintaining city streets and sidewalks
Representatives from Godbe Research will be available at the December 5
meeting to address any questions the Council may have.
FUTURE BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS
As the Council and staff work toward making decisions for the City's future
budget requirements the issues raised by the City Manager during the budget
process should again be considered.
General purpose revenues, such as property tax, sales tax and vehicle license
fees are the only significant source of revenue the City receives which do not
have restrictions on how they may be used. These discretionary revenue
sources are used to support a variety of programs and services that do not have
other dedicated revenue sources. As inflation and the demand for services grow,
the future of those services depends on increases in these discretionary
revenues. Most significantly, in the 2007/08 fiscal year, 63% of the revenues
from these three sources (sales tax, property tax, and vehicle license fees) will
be spent on law enforcement services. Over the past six years, the City's cost to
provide law enforcement services has increased at a higher percentage rate
each year than General Fund revenues. Probable increases in these revenue
sources may not be able to keep pace with the increased costs.
In addition, an increasing amount of future revenues 1) property tax; 2) VLF; and
3) sales tax to the General Fund will be needed to supplement assessment
district revenues for lighting and landscaping districts and park maintenance
districts. For example, the total operational cost to maintain the City's parks is
projected to be $1.9 million for the 2007/08 fiscal year. Special assessments paid
by property owners will pay an estimated $640,000 of this amount leaving the
General Fund to fund the remaining $1,300,000. This is an increase of
approximately $100,000 in transfers from the General Fund when compared to
the FY 06/07 estimated transfer of$1,200,000.
The park benefit assessment revenue for FY 2007/2008 is expected to be only
about 33% of the proposed operating costs. The following table describes
changes related to the park operating costs from FY 1999/2000 to proposed FY
2007/2008. In that time, Assessment Revenue has increased about $193,000
(43.2%) and the use of General Fund also increased about $880,000 (210%).
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Honorable City Council
November 26, 2007
Page 3
FY1999/2000 Adopted FY Change
2007/2008
parks 14 16 * 2
+14%
Assessment $39.00 $48.74 $9.74
Amount +25%
# of SFE 11,466 12,896 1,430
Assessments +12.4%
ting Costs $867,000 $1,9923,00 $1,056,000
+ 121.8%
Assessment $447,000 $ 640,000 $193,000
Revenue (AR) +$43.2%
General Fund $420,000 $1,300,000 $880,000
Contribution +210%
AR as a % of 51.6% 33.28% -18.3%
Operating Costs -35.5%
GF as a % of 48.4% 67.6% +19.2%
Operating Costs +39.7%
* Includes expanded AVCP
As in prior years, several of the Lighting and Landscaping (L&L) District Zones
continue to face deficit fund positions, as assessment revenues have not been
adequate to pay all lighting and landscaping related expenses. The FY 07/08
budget projections show an aggregate deficit of $339,050 in the Lighting and
Landscaping District Zones. As the Council is aware, the transfer is made for
General Fund and Gas Tax Fund reserves in the fall after an audit has been
completed. For the last four years, the City has needed to use reserve funds
from the Gas Tax Fund and General Fund to offset deficits in Assessment District
No. 84-2 for citywide landscaping and street lighting. Proposition 218 has limited
the City's ability to increase the assessments to offset the increases. The City's
practice has been to fund 100% of the street lighting deficit and 50% of the
landscaping deficit from the Gas Tax Fund and 50% of the landscaping deficit
from the General Fund. In addition to the citywide zone, five other zones also
operate in a deficit. These are Zone 5 (Tierra Rejada Road w/ Peach Hill Road),
Zone 7 (North side of Los Angeles Avenue east of Gabbert Road Zone 8 (Home
Acres Buffer), Zone 9 (Condor Drive at Princeton Avenue), and Zone 10 (Mt.
Meadows).
In conclusion, some form of revenue enhancement measure will need to be
implemented in the near future for the City to maintain the current level of
services and provide quality public parks and facilities. The situation has become
even more critical in light of the recent state budget projections.
Honorable City Council
November 26, 2007
Page 4
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
1. Receive and File Report
2. Refer Revenue Enhancement Options Issue to Finance, Administration and
Public Safety Committee
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