WHERE I STAND

Balancing this year's budget is not the same as fixing Lodi's finances.

• Address the structural deficit. When ongoing expenses are greater than ongoing revenues, using reserves or other temporary savings may balance a particular year's budget, but it doesn't fix the underlying problem. Eventually, the temporary money runs out.

• Understand what's driving the problem. Before asking residents for more money, we need to understand what is actually driving our ongoing costs, where efficiencies can be found and where permanent savings are possible.

• Temporary savings aren't permanent solutions. Vacancy savings, deferred hiring, pulling from our reserves and other one-time measures can help close a budget gap in a particular year and may give us time to make better decisions. But if the underlying expense remains, the structural problem remains too.

• Priorities have to mean something. When resources are limited, we can't fund everything equally. Public safety, infrastructure and essential City services should come first. Existing programs and expenses should be evaluated against the City's core responsibilities and the value they're providing.

• We can't cut our way to long-term prosperity. Controlling expenses is only half of the equation. Lodi also needs to grow its tax base by attracting and retaining businesses, creating economic activity and making better use of City assets.

• I do not support asking Lodi residents for a tax increase. Instead of asking taxpayers for more, the City needs to make difficult choices, control ongoing costs, establish priorities and demonstrate that we're making the best use of the revenue we already have.

Lodi cannot solve homelessness alone, and it should not sacrifice core City services trying to do so.

• Measure whether we're actually making progress. Recent Point-in-Time counts report a decrease in homelessness, but a one-night count doesn't tell the whole story. Residents, business owners and law enforcement officers I've spoken with consistently describe the problem as relatively unchanged over roughly the past three years. In the most recent Lodi Police data available, transient-related calls increased nearly 21%. We should look at all of the available information before deciding whether the problem is actually improving.

• Keep public spaces safe and usable. Illegal camping, trespassing, vandalism and other unlawful behavior should be consistently addressed. Parks, sidewalks and other public spaces should be clean, safe and available for their intended use.

• The Access Center cannot become another ongoing obligation the City can't afford. The facility is here, and we should use it effectively. But given Lodi's financial challenges, its ongoing operations should rely on County, state and federal resources, grants and nonprofit partnerships rather than becoming a continuing draw on the City's General Fund.

• Protect the businesses and neighborhoods around the Access Center. The City's responsibility doesn't end at the property line. Neighboring businesses and residents should not be left dealing with illegal camping, trespassing, trash, vandalism or other problems without a timely and effective response.

• Put responsibility where it belongs. Mental-health treatment, substance-use treatment, housing assistance and other specialized services require expertise and resources that largely exist outside City government. Lodi should coordinate with the County, nonprofits and other providers rather than trying to duplicate those services with limited City resources.

• Measure results, not just activity. We must measure whether current outreach programs are actually helping move people toward stable housing, treatment and appropriate services, what those efforts cost and what effect these programs are having on the surrounding community. Beds, meals and contacts tell us what we're doing; outcomes tell us whether it's working.

Police and Fire are core City services and should be funded accordingly.

• Fund what is necessary. Lodi should be in a financial position to fund the police officers, firefighters, equipment and training necessary to protect the community without constantly worrying about whether we can afford them.

• Enforcement needs to be consistent. Residents and businesses should be able to expect that laws are enforced and recurring problems are addressed rather than simply becoming accepted as part of daily life.

• Resources should produce results. Public safety is one of the City's largest and most important responsibilities. Funding should come with clear expectations. We should be looking at response times, recurring problem areas and other meaningful measures to understand whether the resources we're providing are producing better service and a safer community.

Lodi can't solve its financial problems through cuts alone. We also need to grow the local economy and the City's tax base.

• Make it easier to invest in Lodi. Our permitting and development processes need clear expectations and accountability. Set measurable goals for processing times, track performance, identify recurring delays, give applicants clear requirements and status updates, and report the results. What gets measured gets managed. If a process isn't working, we should be able to see it and fix it.

• Take care of businesses already here. Economic development isn't only about attracting new companies. We should be talking with existing employers about what they need to stay and grow in Lodi before space, infrastructure or City processes cause them to look elsewhere.

• Compete for new business. Lodi should actively pursue businesses that bring jobs and economic activity and strengthen our tax base.

• Economic development is part of fixing the budget. A stronger tax base creates ongoing revenue that helps pay for Police, Fire, roads, parks and other City services. Controlling spending matters, but there is a limit to what we can accomplish through cuts. Long-term financial stability also requires economic growth.

Growth should leave Lodi stronger, not simply bigger.

• Growth needs to pay its way. New development brings new residents and businesses, but it also creates demand for roads, water, wastewater, Police, Fire and other City services. Development impact fees should be reviewed regularly to make sure new development is paying its fair share of the infrastructure it requires. We also need to understand what ongoing costs taxpayers will inherit and whether the development generates enough revenue to support them over time.

• Housing costs aren't just about land and construction. City fees, permitting delays, changing requirements and an unpredictable approval process add costs that ultimately get passed on to the buyer or renter. We should avoid adding unnecessary costs and make the process clear, predictable and efficient.

• Preserve local decision-making where we can. California places significant requirements on cities when it comes to housing and development. Lodi has to comply with state law, but where the law leaves decisions to the City, those decisions should reflect Lodi's infrastructure, finances and the needs of our community.

• Think beyond the ribbon cutting. A project can pay for new infrastructure up front and still create maintenance and service costs for decades. Those future costs should be part of the financial analysis when the City considers significant development.

Taking care of what we already have has to come before adding things we can't afford to maintain.

• Maintenance isn't optional. Roads, parks, buildings and other City assets deteriorate whether we budget for them or not. Delaying maintenance may save money this year, but it creates a larger bill later.

• Deferred maintenance needs a realistic plan. Lodi already has a significant backlog of deferred maintenance, including roughly $40 million in identified needs in our parks alone. We need to prioritize those needs, determine what we can realistically afford each year and develop a long-term plan to address the backlog rather than allowing it to continue to grow.

• Use public-private partnerships to reduce the City's maintenance burden. Lodi owns assets that require ongoing maintenance and investment at a time when the City has significant deferred maintenance and limited resources. Where it makes sense, partnerships with private businesses, nonprofits or community organizations could allow another entity to invest in, operate or maintain a City asset—potentially taking some of those ongoing maintenance costs off the City's books. The City should retain appropriate oversight and protect the public interest, but we should be open to creative arrangements that make better use of our assets while reducing costs taxpayers would otherwise have to carry.

• Set priorities when we can't do everything at once. Limited money means some projects will have to wait. Decisions should be based on things like safety, condition, use and the cost of further delay—not simply which project gets the most attention.

• Measure whether we're making progress. If improving streets or catching up on deferred maintenance is a City priority, establish measurable goals and report against them. Residents should be able to see whether conditions are actually improving.

Accountability means knowing what we're trying to accomplish, measuring whether we're accomplishing it, and fixing what isn't working.

• Set measurable expectations. If the City says something is a priority, there should be a way to measure progress. Departments should have meaningful performance measures and Council should receive regular, understandable reporting on the results.

• Make information easier to see. Residents shouldn't have to dig through lengthy reports or make repeated requests to understand how public money is being spent or how the City is performing. Important financial and performance information should be presented clearly and made readily available.

• Ratepayers deserve the same accountability as taxpayers. When utility rates or fees increase, residents should be able to clearly understand what they're paying for, why the increase is necessary and how the money will be used. Enterprise funds may operate differently from the General Fund, but they are still public money and deserve the same transparency and careful oversight.

• Audits should result in action. When an audit or outside review identifies a weakness, Council should require a corrective-action plan with clear responsibilities and deadlines. The city manager should be accountable for implementing it, and Council should follow up until the corrective actions are completed. Accountability requires action, not simply another report on a shelf.

• Spend carefully on outside expertise. Consultants can be valuable when specialized or independent expertise is needed, but before spending taxpayer money on outside work, Council should understand why it's necessary, what we're paying for and what result we're supposed to get. When the work is finished, we should also know whether we actually got that result.

• Clear direction and accountability matter. City staff provides valuable expertise and should give Council the information and professional advice it needs to make good decisions. But Council is ultimately responsible for setting the City's policies and priorities. The city manager is responsible for making sure the organization follows through on them, and Council is responsible for holding the city manager accountable when it doesn't.

I do not support allowing marijuana dispensaries in Lodi.

I have spoken with members of law enforcement about the potential impacts and take seriously their concerns about additional crime and public-safety challenges. I understand the argument that dispensaries could generate additional tax revenue for the City, particularly given our financial challenges. But not every source of revenue is worth pursuing. If additional revenue comes with increased demands on law enforcement or other consequences for our community, I don't believe the tradeoff is worth it. My priority is keeping Lodi a safe, family-friendly community, and I would oppose allowing dispensaries here.