City Staff and City Volunteers
At last night's city council meeting, I was impressed, again, by the dedication of the city employees and volunteers. For the employees, working for the city is their job, of course, but I am glad they take the job seriously and are determined to do their best to keep Sugar City running well.
As for the various volunteers, we have a number of wonderful volunteer committee members who willingly offer their time and energy and experience. I know there are many city residents who would be great additions to The Planning and Zoning Commission, the Tree and Beautification Committee, the Historic Preservation Commission, the Parks and Recreation Committee, etc. These committees make significant and lasting contributions to our great city. If you are interested in helping, please contact city hall.
Budget 2022
We had another round-table style 2022 budget work session last night. Planning the city's budget is serious business. The council members and the mayor get out our 20/20 glasses for looking at previous years and our crystal balls for predicting the future, and then discuss and debate. We take input from city staff, as well. In the end, the council sets the budget, and the mayor keeps the city running well within the budget.
We made good progress and expect to present next year's budget at an official public hearing soon. The public can always follow along with the budget discussions during our regular city council meetings when the budget is on the agenda.
Staying Informed and Engaged
And speaking of following along, the city clerk maintains minutes for every meeting. If you ever want to review what was discussed and what action might have been taken, you can find meeting agendas and minutes on the city's webpage, Sugarcityidaho.gov (click on the "Meetings & Agenda" option on the menu at the top of the page).
I encourage everyone to stay informed and to participate in the city's government. There is built-in transparency for the process of city governance, but it does require residents to take a few steps to stay actively engaged.