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Pulse Articles December 2002, Pulse Article (reprinted with permission of Downtown Danville Inc. Watch Learn and Volunteer This job, by its nature, has required that I become more socially and politically aware of what is going on in our community. I watch with greater interest how city government works. I try to keep abreast of the goals and activities of some of the other civic, professional and social organizations around Danville. I have met with some other directors of the many not-for-profits in the area, especially those having to do with housing. I think it is good not to duplicate services and to try to work together if and when possible. It is interesting to watch various individuals and groups as they evaluate the social and political landscape of our community. Now that I have been paying attention it is much easier to pick out those who do versus those who don't do their homework. Paying attention has also given me an appreciation for how well the City of Danville actually does run. Sure, everyone has a story about the four guys leaning on their shovels while one guy is doing all the digging. I can only tell you from my more frequent observation and contact that is a far more rare occurrence than in years past. The workload and expectations are much greater with fewer personnel to get the job done. We, in the City of Danville, have been blessed with our meager portion of the state income tax and sales tax revenue windfalls the exceptional economy of the last few years has generated. With the added revenues the City has listened to its community and tried to address some of the issues most often raised. "Let's clean up our city." "Let's do something about the deterioration of some of our neighborhoods." "Let's improve our own self image." "Let's try to bring more jobs to Danville." We are starting to make some headway on those fronts. While we are not out of the woods, by a margin, we have identified the problems, formulated a plan and in many cases we are taking action. Now along comes the bad news... Danville's population did not grow at the same pace as the rest of the state. So for the first time in recent memory the Danville's share of the state income tax will be less than the previous year. If that isn't bad enough, now local retail sales are soft and the city's share of sales tax revenues are down. Now, aren't you sorry you went out of town to purchase some of your Christmas gifts? You should be. It all makes a difference. (That is a whole other topic for another article.) The bottom line here is some cuts have to be made. Not good news for those of us who have been seeing some improvement in the way our City looks. We have even started to see a slight improvement in the attitudes of some of those who live here. (That is an optimistic statement I know, but I try to surround myself with folks who possess a more positive outlook on life). None-the-less, cuts in the budgets of the City's services and programs are inevitable. Essential city services must remain sound and properly funded. The cries continue however. "Cut every department the same." Cut out all non-essential services." "Cut out the waste." "Don't raise this tax." "Raise that tax." On and on they go. Building a balanced budget and trying to keep everyone happy is not at all an easy task for our Mayor and Aldermen. Ultimately everyone gets squeezed. Some departments and programs get cut more than others. The unfortunate thing that happens in these situations is that the programs having to do with keeping our city clean and attractive seem to get whacked the worst. Please, I am not whining, this is just one of those facts of life we live with. The good news is opportunities for volunteerism will abound in the upcoming year. If we are sincere about our wishes for a cleaner, safer and more prosperous Danville, we will collectively step up to the plate. Mow a vacant lot. Organize a neighborhood cleanup day. Participate in a neighborhood crime watch program. The list is endless. Call a not-for-profit and volunteer your services. Make a difference in your community. The fun part will be to watch to see if the people who yell, "cut, cut, cut" to the Mayor and Council, (some times the same people who yell about tall grass, litter and bad neighborhoods) will be on the list of volunteers. Return to Articles
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