Comments on: Local officials need governance resources http://blogs.reuters.com/muniland/2012/09/22/local-officials-need-governance-resources/ Bridges, budgets, bonds Thu, 09 May 2013 14:47:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Muni_observer http://blogs.reuters.com/muniland/2012/09/22/local-officials-need-governance-resources/comment-page-1/#comment-1729 Muni_observer Fri, 28 Sep 2012 20:46:57 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/muniland/?p=11956#comment-1729 I think you're comparing apples and oranges with your data on Stockton public safety costs versus other CA cities. The Stockton figure is for the general fund but the Controller (not Comptroller) looks at all operating funds, which can include a variety of services outside the general fund. A better comparison would be between the Controller's all cities data and the city detail data for Stockton in the same report. The Stockton data is missing from the 10-11 report but if you go back to the 09-10 report it appears public safety accounted for 45% of operating expenditures for Stockton vs. 28.7% for all cities. Even this comparison, though, is questionable, as the operating expenditure denominator can include different types of services for different entities. A more important point may be that spending 3/4 of your general fund budget on public safety isn't all that unusual for California cities, and it's getting more common every day as cuts are disproportionately made to non-public safety services. I think you’re comparing apples and oranges with your data on Stockton public safety costs versus other CA cities. The Stockton figure is for the general fund but the Controller (not Comptroller) looks at all operating funds, which can include a variety of services outside the general fund.

A better comparison would be between the Controller’s all cities data and the city detail data for Stockton in the same report. The Stockton data is missing from the 10-11 report but if you go back to the 09-10 report it appears public safety accounted for 45% of operating expenditures for Stockton vs. 28.7% for all cities. Even this comparison, though, is questionable, as the operating expenditure denominator can include different types of services for different entities.

A more important point may be that spending 3/4 of your general fund budget on public safety isn’t all that unusual for California cities, and it’s getting more common every day as cuts are disproportionately made to non-public safety services.

]]> By: Cate_Long http://blogs.reuters.com/muniland/2012/09/22/local-officials-need-governance-resources/comment-page-1/#comment-1720 Cate_Long Tue, 25 Sep 2012 00:04:48 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/muniland/?p=11956#comment-1720 With a growing number of local governments facing significant fiscal stress, State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced plans today to implement an early warning monitoring system that would identify municipalities and school districts experiencing signs of budgetary strain so that corrective actions can be taken before a full financial crisis develops. http://osc.state.ny.us/press/releases/sept12/092412.htm With a growing number of local governments facing significant fiscal stress, State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced plans today to implement an early warning monitoring system that would identify municipalities and school districts experiencing signs of budgetary strain so that corrective actions can be taken before a full financial crisis develops.

http://osc.state.ny.us/press/releases/se pt12/092412.htm

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