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Presented 10/7/14 <br />Office of the City Manager <br />Cityof <br />Louisville <br />COLORADO ' SINCE 1 878 <br />October 1, 2014 <br />Mayor Muckle, City Council, Louisville Residents and Businesses and City Employees: <br />As required by Section 11 -2 (b) of the City Charter, I am pleased to offer for your consideration <br />the proposed 2015 Annual Operating Budget and the 2015 -2019 Five -Year Capital <br />Improvements Plan. The unprecedented rains last year challenged the City by flooding homes <br />and businesses, washing away bridges, destroying water utility infrastructure, obliterating trails <br />and severely damaging Coal Creek Golf Course. In the past year and throughout Louisville <br />people have and continue to work together with the City Council and staff to recover and rebuild <br />Louisville so it is even better than before the flood. <br />In keeping with the rebuilding theme, we have rebuilt the recommended budget to make it better <br />by, among other things: <br />• Highlighting the most significant proposed changes and providing justification for those <br />changes; this helps focus attention on those issues that may be of interest and to facilitate <br />Council's decision making. <br />• Listing departmental requests that have merit but for which there is insufficient funding; this <br />enables Council and the Public to see the Management Team's priorities and, if necessary, <br />adjust the budget as Council sees fit. <br />• Providing Departmental summaries that help explain the work each department does. <br />Because budget discussions often focus on new proposals or activities, this information is <br />intended to help everyone see the comprehensive level of ongoing services the City <br />provides. <br />• Summarizing the performance metrics Departments use to help make management <br />decisions. In our ongoing effort to improve services we have listed the metrics each <br />Department has developed —or is starting to develop —to document levels of service, <br />demonstrate progress, show accomplishments, and identify ways or areas that need <br />improvement. <br />The City is in good fiscal health. The current projection for 2014 General Fund revenue, <br />exclusive of interfund transfers, is 1.8% higher than 2013. Year to date sales tax revenue is <br />trending 4.4% above budget. These resources, combined with those from the improving <br />economy enable the City to improve service levels in several areas and accomplish the <br />Council's goals for 2015, which are summarized below. <br />1 <br />