Bob's Update - October 26, 2009
Autumn is the season of change - cooler temperatures, fall colors and, of course, moving our clocks back an hour. Our organization is changing too.
Since the presentation
of the recommended 2010/2011 budget to the Board of Commissioners in
September we have continued to make progress on the budget as outlined
below. These additional data points have been used by the Board during their
final deliberation of the proposed budget.
- Presentation of the Preliminary Budget Summary
- Amendment to Outside Agency Allocations
- Presentation on Infrastructure Allocations
- Act 88/Agriculture and Economic Development Millage
- Collective Bargaining Agreements with 11 of the 17 bargaining units
- Budget Public hearing
At this point, only one milestone remains --- the adoption of a balanced budget by the Board of Commissioners. While we await that final budget vote, I can't help but think about how much this organization has changed over the past decade, and how it will continue to change in the coming years. Often times, change is viewed negatively, but the reality is that change is inevitable and change can be good – even when times are bad.
This year has been difficult. We've made some painful adjustments and more are scheduled to take effect at the end of December. Given the diminished resources projected for the next few years, we are faced with the reality that our ability to maintain certain services and service levels will be challenged. I am confident that our workforce will rise to those challenges, like it always has, and continue to do the very best for the citizens of Washtenaw County. The recent agreements with most of the County's bargaining units clearly demonstrate the commitment to the community and the future of our organization.
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"Bob's Update" is a weekly message to Washtenaw County employees from County Administrator Bob Guenzel. eWashtenaw publishes these columns when they are deemed timely and useful to the wider community. Please contact Administrator Guenzel with your comments. |
You've heard me say before that 2010 will be centered on planning, but what does that mean? Well, we need to adapt our organization to an uncertain future. We need to be proactive in determining our course. For the past year, we have been focused on a projected $30M deficit. Now, with the 2010/2011 budget on the verge of being adopted, it's time for us to regroup and fully assess our situation as we plan for 2012 and 2013 - it's time to create a new reality for Washtenaw County.
While we may be providing fewer services and programs, we remain committed to providing them with professionalism and efficiency. We are all public servants and our commitment to public service hasn't changed because we have fewer resources.
We have a tremendous amount of talent in this organization, and I'm energetic and confident that we can create a new Washtenaw County. We can and must do this together.
Thank you for all that you do and your commitment to this organization and to the citizens of Washtenaw County.
