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City o f Louisville City Council Mayor Charles L. Sisk 303.665.6889 charless @louisvilleco.gov • Ward I Dave Clabots 303.673.9116 davec@louisvilleco.gov Bob Muckle 303.981.0697 bobm @louisvilleco.gov • Ward II Sheri Marsella, Mayor Pro tem 303.665.3276 sherim @louisvilleco.gov Frost Yarnell 303.673.0896 frosty@louisvilleco.gov • Ward III Hank Dalton 303.926.9930 hankd@louisvilleco.gov Ron Sackett 720.890.8970 rons @louisvilleco.gov City Manager Malcolm Fleming 303.335.4532 malcolmf @louisvilleco.gov City Council Meetings are held the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 7:00 PM at City Hall, 749 Main Street. To find out in which Ward you live, please call 303.335.4536. Community Update A Message from the Mayor: Budget Quandry City of Louisville - www.LouisvilleCo.gov A s you read this newsletter, Louisville will be celebrating the Fourth of July with- out our traditional fireworks display and our picnic at Community Park. The impact of our budget reductions will be felt by citizens of all ages in Louisville. But truly, the cancellation of the Fourth of July celebration is a small part of the cost cutting required by several unanticipated events, not the least of which was the sudden closure of Sam's Club. We have also experienced the loss of Safeway, which was the first major grocery store to open in Louisville. In this economic downturn, Safeway officials chose to close a store that was not producing the revenue, which they deemed to be satisfactory. There certainly are upticks in our retail community that should not be ignored. We have seen several new retail businesses open in Louisville and we welcome them with open arms. Louisville's downtown is buzzing with new restaurants, with open air seating in several of them. Pine Street Plaza received a face lift and Mountain High Appliance Continued on page 3 Budget Update Where do we go from here? Summer 2010 I f you have been reading the information from the City over the past year, you know that the City's budget is in a difficult place. To be clear, existing core services are solid. The question now is how do we sustain the quality of life services to which we have become accustomed. That quality of life is a key reason residents enjoy living here, it helps keep existing employers here and attracts new ones, and it maintains and enhances all of our property values. The City Council made over $500,000 in budget and service cuts (see page 2) to bal- ance the 2009 and 2010 budgets. These cuts were needed to offset the general decline in sales tax revenue and especially the loss of Sam's Club, the single largest sales tax genera- tor in the City. So, where do we go from here? In July, the City Council will consider placing a ques- tion on the November ballot asking voters to approve a 3.5% Use Tax for Louisville. Most of the revenues associated with the Use Tax would come from business purchases of equipment, furniture, and fixtures. If approved, the new revenue could be used for properly maintaining City streets and restoring some programs and services that were cut in 2009 and 2010. It would also help to diversify the City's revenue sources allowing for better long -term budgeting. Alternatively, the City Council could continue making service cuts to balance the budget. Additional cuts would further impact City staffing, services, programs, special events, and ongoing maintenance of roads, facilities, and parks. Pages two and three list some information about how the City budget is spent, what has been cut, and what the City is doing to retain and attract new businesses. Additional information about a Use Tax, how it works, and who pays it is available on the City's web site at wwwLouisvilleCO.gov. The City Council wants to hear your view about this possible new tax. If you have an opinion either for or against the possible Use Tax, if you have questions, or if you Continued on page 3