Saratoga News City Council sees five-year budget outlook into 2005 By Steve Enders It's been a nearly year in the making, but Saratoga's Finance Commission has presented the city council with a five-year budget outlook. And the forecast is: Don't expect much of a change in the way the city receives and spends its money. In a joint meeting Jan. 20 with the city council, Finance Commission chairman Chuck Swan told councilmembers that the commission doesn't foresee much significant change to the city's budget through 2005. He said the city's ability to maintain its current services will stay intact, but the budget doesn't hold much in terms of enhanced services for city residents. Swan said the city could be pressed in coming years with "quality of life" issues, especially from younger city residents who may ask for improved streets, sidewalks and even more playing fields. The city probably won't have the means to deal with those types of requests, he said. On the other hand, the city will see a big increase in park development funding in 2000-01, with the budget jumping from $150,000 to more than $1 million. According to Administrative Services director Mary Jo Walker, the city is forecasting the money to be spent on playing field development and construction, as well as restroom and equipment upgrades in some of the city's parks. Most of the city's revenues are likely to stay relatively stable, including the general fund, which contains money collected from business license fees as well as property, sales and other taxes throughout the city. Swan said the commission hadn't identified any new revenue sources for the city, and said nothing significant will likely come from the redevelopment of Argonaut Shopping Center, either. The only significant change to the city's income over the next five years will be seen in the "streets and roads" category during 2000, mostly because the city will take over from the state the section of Saratoga- Sunnyvale Road that runs through Saratoga. With the acquisition of the road comes some grant money, Swan told the council. However, he said the commission also sees more city-funded spending needed to maintain the road, so it basically balances out. Swan said the commission believes that the city is mostly "built out," so it didn't expect much money coming in from new home construction or sales, either. City revenues are scheduled to peak in 2000, at about $12 million. [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, January 27, 1999. ©1999 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.