Editor: Randy Pye, the only mayor the young city of Centennial has ever had, can't run again. Two hopefuls are already in the field to succeed him, Councilman Todd Miller and former Charter Commission Chair Cathy Noon. The election is this November, and others may jump in. Local taxpayer advocate Ron Phelps offers these thoughts: =====================
Like other municipalities, the city of Centennial faces tough financial decisions in the coming months. The City recently held a special meeting to ponder how to deal with the tough times ahead.
The City Council’s initial steps include cutting approximately $3M from public works from the 2009 adopted budget. Some public works will go forward, and no services or staff will be reduced. With anywhere from $200K to $1.7M more to resolve for 2009, they will meet again in July to make additional decisions.
For 2010, the City also needs to resolve the projected deficit of approximately $3M. This will also be discussed in July.
All of this falls right smack into the upcoming City elections. With two announced candidates for Mayor, I think it’s essential that all of Centennial’s citizens learn how the candidates propose to solve the City’s financial challenges.