Monday Morning Thoughts: Mayor vs Mayor Pro Tem, Renaissance vs Fiscal Peril
On Tuesday, Mayor Dan Wolk will deliver his version of the State of the City at the…
The Fiscal Reality of the City Differs From the Mayor’s Column
By Robb Davis Recently our Mayor, my colleague, wrote: “Our budget is balanced and resilient. Due to…
My View: A Campaign Speech Under the Guise of the Mayor’s Monthly Column
Just before Christmas the local paper released the online version of “The Mayor’s Corner,” that will be…
Commentary: Moving in the Wrong Direction on Financial Issues
I increasingly find myself in a strange position with regard to city finances and the direction in…
Panel Discussion on the MOU (Video)
On Saturday, about 30 members of the public filled the library of the Davis Community Church to…
Council To Look at Tax Revenue Options
The Davis City Council, according to a city staff report, has until February 16 to put a…
My View II: When Should Employee Compensation Increase?
Yesterday’s article on potential revenue from new hotels triggered another side discussion on employee compensation. The problem…
Analysis: Can Hotels Be the Short-Term Revenue Fix That the City Needs?
When Councilmember Rochelle Swanson was explaining her vote on the MOUs and explaining where the money might…
Commentary: Will MOU Fallout Impact Other Issues?
It may be that this is simply an issue that resonates only for the “Vanguard 10,” but…
My View: Is the MOU Issue a Vanguard-Only Issue?
On Tuesday night when I expressed concern to a councilmember about the fact that the MOU issue…
Commentary: Thinking About Taxes and the Need for Revenue
I thought it was an interesting comment that former Assemblymember and County Supervisor Helen Thomson made with…
Councilmember Swanson Explains Her MOU Vote and the Process
For Councilmember Rochelle Swanson, the Vanguard column the other day following the council meeting and the 4-1…
Analysis: Complex Situation Leads to MOUs
There are multiple considerations driving the apparent council support for MOUs that will provide four bargaining units…
Special Commentary: Council Set to Approve $1.1 Million in New Spending on MOUs
Despite projections from last June showing the precarious nature of the city budget and despite sales tax…
City Needs $10 Million Annually to Maintain Pavement
Back in 2013, the Davis City Council adopted a funding strategy to allocate roughly $4 million of…
Commentary: Top Issue and Most Elusive Goal in This Community is Fiscal Sustainability
This is probably not a fair indictment, but in the last 12 to 18 months, it seems…
Monday Morning Thoughts: A Stacked Deck on the Sports Park?
In July, the Davis City Council did the right thing by separating the issue of the potential…
Sunday Commentary: The Vanguard’s View of the Council Accomplishments of 2014-15
This week the mayor published his monthly Mayor’s Corner and called the past year “a year to…
Report: Will the Proposed Innovation Centers Yield the Type of Return Anticipated?
In May, the Economic & Planning Systems, Inc. (EPS), “prepared an Administrative Draft Report evaluating economic and…
Council Makes Move to Separate Sports Parks, Pool from Tax Discussion
At least two dozen people spoke on Tuesday at public comment. As expected, many were members of…
