Analysis: Re-worked Charts Show Precarious Nature of City Finances
Members of the city council were thankful that the for the first time in 13 years there…
Commentary: Council Needs Reminder That Taxes Were Supposed to Be Temporary
On May 18 of 2014, Councilmembers Lucas Frerichs and Brett Lee joined Elaine Roberts Musser, Dan Carson…
City Budget Proposal a Good Starting Point But Raises Some Technical Issues
By Dan Carson The city’s Finance and Budget Commission will be vetting the 2015-16 budget proposal at…
Council Talks About Taxes and Reserve in Opening Budget Discussion
In 2014, the voters of Davis approved a sales tax measure that at the time was deemed…
Monday Morning Thoughts: City Fiscal Condition Remains Precarious
As we noted in yesterday’s article, the city’s projected budget forecast has good news and bad news….
Commentary: Council Should Prioritize Spending… Oh Wait, They Have
In recent days, the Vanguard has noted what would appear to be a trend. The city finances…
My View II: Council Should Be Cautious About Raising Employee Compensation
The rumor this week is that, with the city pushing into the black and restoring its general…
Sunday Commentary: Avoiding Repeating the Mistakes of Davis Budget History
I look at articles like Dan Carson’s (5/2, New City Staff Forecast Says Fiscal Year to End…
New City Staff Forecast Says Fiscal Year to End with Substantial Reserve
By Dan Carson A city staff report released Friday says that better-than-expected growth in property tax revenues…
Monday Morning Thoughts: Where is the Budget Process Headed?
First, the need to clarify something. Last week in my column I noted, “There is talk potentially…
Council Optmistic But Cautious Regarding Budget
There were no declarations about the end of the structural deficit on Tuesday night, as City Manager…
Monday Morning Thoughts: Disagree That City’s Structural Deficit is Solved
Dan Carson submitted the guest piece yesterday and opened it with the bold assertion, “New data suggest…
The City’s Structural Deficit Is Solved
By Dan Carson Dirk Brazil must have a great sense of timing. He is waltzing into his…
Commentary: Stockton Shows That Bankruptcy Is Not the Answer
There have been days where readers in frustration about Davis’ fiscal situation have suggested that Davis simply…
Analysis: City Manager Salary Increase and Its Impact on Employee Morale, Labor Negotiations
In 2009, as the city was starting to take on water fiscally, City Manager Bill Emlen decided…
Sunday Commentary: New City Manager Salary Puts Davis in Tough Spot
Back in July, the Vanguard argued that the “Council Did Right Thing on Compensation.” As we wrote…
Commentary: Judges Ruling Serves as a Warning, an Opportunity for a City at Crossroads on Future
The Sacramento Bee’s editorial board this morning argues that Federal Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Klein’s “potentially groundbreaking ruling…
Commentary: Making the Case to the Public on Innovation Parks
I have already seen a few emails from residents in the vicinities of the various proposed innovation…
Sunday Commentary: City Budget Could Become Greatest Threat to Open Space, Environment
For the past several weeks, I have been reading about concerns that people have regarding city greenbelts…
Commentary: The Biggest Challenge the City Faces?
With all of the complaints about the city using public resources to fund a poll, the poll…
