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LCityor Louisville COLORADO • SINCE 1878 January 12, 2016 Mayor and City Council City of Louisville 749 Main Street Louisville, CO 80027 Office of the City Manager Mayor Muckle, City Council, Louisville Residents and Businesses and City Employees: I am pleased to present the 2016 Annual Operating and Capital Budget formally adopted by City Council on November 2, 2015 by passing Resolutions 79, 80, and 81. Guiding Principles In June of 2009, the Council agreed on the following guiding principles for budget development: 1. Provide high quality core services; do it well or don't do it 2. Talented, motivated, well- trained employees are the City's most important asset 3. Maintain our investments 4. Don't expect short -term actions to resolve long -term problems 5. Consider unintended consequences 6. Share information and ask employees, residents and businesses for their input and remember that Leadership is what they expect from us We kept these principles in mind as we prepared the 2016 budget. As you know, the City's budget is the most significant policy considered by the Louisville City Council each year; it establishes the City's priorities and provides funding to achieve those priorities. The budget process, including the formal public hearing, provide the public with many opportunities to comment on and advise the City Council about those priorities and levels of funding. In addition to the public hearing, we solicit and receive input from numerous sources, including public involvement at regular City Council meetings and study sessions, feedback from the City's various Boards and Commissions and information from surveys. We also provided information, addressed questions, and asked for ideas and suggestions about budget issues during special presentations on the City's budget, during Ward meetings, and other City events. By considering citizens' comments in all of these forums and making changes as necessary, the City Council ensures that the final 2016 budget truly reflects the interests of the community. Strategic Goals and Strategies The City is in good fiscal health. We used a significant portion of the City's reserves in the General Fund, Capital Projects Fund and other Funds to recover from and rebuild after the 2013 floods and to construct long planned major capital improvements, such as the new City Services Facility. Now, without a tax increase, we are starting to rebuild those reserves while still addressing continuing priorities, such as resurfacing the City's streets. 1