Coordinated Fiscal Investment

“Getting the right people on the bus, in the right seat.” (From Good to Great - by Jim Collins).

Fiscal responsibility is always the City’s top priority. As citizens, we should strive to have our representative government be as efficient and effective as possible.

The City’s reserves are fully funded, and the City needs to expand its revenue streams. In addition to the payment to the City for each passenger boarding a Cruise Ship and the new Cruise Terminal Three, additional user fees - capitalizing on Galveston as a vacation destination, should be developed.

The City should also balance property tax reductions with the state-required 3.5% annual budget increase cap in order to continue providing services while the cost of materials and labor continues to increase.

The City and its other taxing jurisdictions in Galveston should have a coordinated investment strategy. Working with groups like Vision Galveston, and other community interest groups, The City, Wharves Board, and Park Board should review their capital improvement plans together to align with the overall community goals.

The coordinated investment results in more efficient construction, reduced rework; better return on investment through jointly addressing each other's goals; sharing resources reducing duplication of efforts; and aligning the delivery of the projects with the best-qualified resources.