Page 10 - CityofKennedaleFY23Budget

Another focus area includes determining how our city government fits in with the community. We
can assume that we know what community expectations are, but without citizen input, we may be
off the mark. As we experience growth in our city, it is important to listen to our citizens and know
what concerns that they have. The way we operate our city government can substantially impact
the quality of life for our citizens- positively and negatively. This is especially true for those who
are our most vulnerable, such as our retirement community. Although all will feel the impact of
increased utility costs or taxes, our retirees don’t have much room for additional expenses if they
are on fixed incomes. I feel that it is important to get their input indefinitely. Future plans will
incorporate town hall meetings, social media messaging, and surveys to gain needed community
opinion.

It will be important to meet with our community stakeholders and elected officials to see what
expectations they have of municipal services as well as growing already established relationships.

I will work closely with the Finance Director to identify any unnecessary or outdated contracts and
or expenditures. As I have experienced, contracts need to be reviewed on a regular basis. It is
important to spend tax revenue wisely and direct funding to needed and necessary areas. A careful
review of existing budgets and contracts will provide a sound financial starting point.

I have met with our department leaders and performed a structural analysis to address stakeholder
concerns. I have discussed what their department needs are to meet the community’s expectations.
Based on the outcome of our conversations, we would evaluate any potential department and
service structural changes that may need to occur to help us meet the goals of the city and provide
efficient and cost-effective services. I believe we can meet the community’s goals. With new
management, there is an opportunity to view things from a new perspective with the ability to
identify problems that may have been overlooked for some time. It will be important to address
short-term and long-term issues within the organization and within our city, while addressing any
chronic problems with input from our citizens. As a modern city, we need to be able to utilize
technology to help improve customer service. However, we also need to be aware of and sensitive
to the needs of members of our community that still feel comfortable using traditional means of
communication. We need to have face-to-face customer service wherever possible. We need to
have people answering phones at city hall. Most importantly, we need to explore ways to help
people. We can and will innovate, but we cannot leave any part of our population behind while we
do.
Budget planning must include reallocating existing resources to meet new expectations wherever
possible. There are areas that we need to plan for in the future. As we explore budget proposals,
new programs and projects can also be considered.
As we continue to address the upcoming budget, we are looking at how we need to update our
Comprehensive Plan. This will include input from our elected officials as to what they believe is
the best course for the city to address anticipated growth areas, especially regarding business and
urban development. A thorough review and update of the Unified Development Code (UDC) will
also play an important part of the development of the city’s Comprehensive Plan to address short-
term and long-term city goals. Getting our policies and procedures correct and simplifying the UDC
is crucial to our success and will define our future and create our legacy for years to come. This
will incorporate building relationships with developers and business owners who want to invest in

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