Item A: Sequencing of Financial Measures to be Presented to Voters

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· On November 28,2005, the council will have a work session on the PROS Comprehensive Plan, with a public hearing and adoption of the plan scheduled for December. In January 2006, the council will consider the PROS Project and Priority Plan. In addition, voters have approved local option levies for library and youth/school-based services, both of which are effective from FY04 through FY07. The council considered alternate revenue sources during late 2001 and early 2002. Those discussions resulted in no direction to staff to pursue non-property tax revenue sources for general government purposes. The history of all City revenue measures presented to the voters since 1990 is included as Attachment B. Policy Questions: Specifically for this work session item, there are two policy questions: 1. Should the City pursue the local option levy proposals as described in the tentative election schedule included as Attachment C? 2. Should the City continue to fund school-based services through four-year local option levies? The goal of this work session is to get feedback from the council about the strategy for making the best use of available election dates given the currently identified needs of the City. That means that this information does not focus on the financial feasibility or financing plan for each of the proposed local option levy measures. Proposed Measures: There are two property tax measures proposed to go before voters in the November 2006 election: · Renewal of the library local option levy · Renewal of the youth/schools services levy Future election cycles would include G. O. bond measure proposals for parks, recreation and open space projects and possible City Hall projects, plus any other items related to the council's eight priority action items or items in the Multi- Year Financial Plan. Library Local Option Levy: The City has funded a portion of library operations since FYOO through a local option levy. That levy has been renewed once, and the current levy is effective through FY07. Library operating funding is split almost evenly between local option levy and general fund resources. Renewal of the local option levy would provide the necessary funding to maintain services at the current level at the Downtown Library and two branches. Youth/School-Based Services Local Option Levy: One of the policy questions for the council to consider is whether to continue to fund school-based services through a City local option levy. City voters have approved local option levy funding for school-based services twice, first for the two-year local option levy in effect during FY02 and FY03, and then with the current four-year local option levy that is in effect during FY04 through FY07. When the council debated placing the current levy on the ballot, councilors acknowledged that the LICMOl200S Council AgendaslMOSll16lS0S1116A.doc