All communities are facing a budget crunch due to the changes in state finances.

Our challenge is to maintain the excellent services the city provides while still being fiscally responsible. This may take some thinking outside the box and changes to the standard operating procedure that communities are used to. I have an open mind and willingness to see the big picture which will help when exploring options to fulfill this commitment. The mortgage crisis has hit every community as well. It has created more rental properties, more abandoned or foreclosed properties and worries about the upkeep of these properties. We currently have ordinances in place for their inspection. We just need to stay diligent to make sure these are carried out in a timely fashion to maintain our housing stock. The continued success of our corporate parks is a major priority. We have maintained a good relationship with these companies and have had success attracting some new tenants. During my term on council, the city has been proactive in an effort to maintain the successes we have experienced. Surveys have been done of available properties and assessments have been made of our attractiveness to businesses. These practices need to be a priority if we are to further insure the success of our corporate parks.