We’ve got a couple of big projects started on city facilities right now. There are new roofs going on the water treatment plant (L) and City Center (R). Together, the two projects will cost the City over $1,000,000. It’s a lot of money, but it’s money well spent. Not fixing a hole in roof can be seen as frugal in the short run. But after awhile, it’s no longer frugal, it’s poor stewardship.
Even as the City has been reducing its budget over the past couple of weeks, there are two broad areas where we have been very careful not to reduce. One is public safety. The other is public infrastructure and facilities maintenance.
Public safety is a fundamental service of city government. It’s our duty to protect people in our city from crime, fire and other emergencies. While it’s the largest single operating department in city government, it’s also an area that we will prioritize near the top of areas to protect from budget reductions.
During our recent budget reductions we did not eliminate any employee positions involved in the maintenance of the City’s streets, parks, fleet, utilities or buildings. It may not be quite as obvious why we would protect our service levels in the public infrastructure and facilities. In my view, it’s a matter of stewardship. Over the years, Eden Prairie taxpayers have provided the City with millions of dollars in their property taxes so the City could build streets, sidewalks, parks, water mains, sewer lines and many fine municipal buildings. It’s up to us to protect those investments.
