Approve Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Budget - YES

Like all cities, Corte Madera has been through a lot over the last few years, including a viral pandemic and associated economic collapse. But Corte Madera stands apart from most other cities—including all of our cohorts here in Marin—for how well we dealt with these twin crises. Thanks to years of careful financial planning and prudent fiscal management, we were the only city in Marin to weather the pandemic while keeping our budget balanced, and avoiding cuts to services or staff layoffs.

The result is that Corte Madera is in an incredibly strong fiscal position, and the proof is in the pudding with this robust, balanced budget I voted to adopt for the coming fiscal year.

While other cities are still scrambling to make up their COVID shortfalls and recover staffing and services, in Corte Madera, we're having an entirely different discussion, looking at how we can further improve our service to residents, even above pre-pandemic levels.

This budget is truly a coda to Corte Madera's strength. With our financial reserves full for the first time in history, we are funding improvements to the Town's operations that will further increase our level of service for residents, while moving aggressively down the path of paying off all our pension debts—a statement no other city I know of can make.

Every resident should be proud of what we've achieved together. Here's to a vibrant and healthy future for Corte Madera!