From repairing potholes on your street to filling your local library with books, the foundation of city government resides upon providing citizens with a wealth of services. While every public municipality strives to fulfill those goals, the way they actually accomplish them varies depending on their budget and capabilities. The City of Glendale is classified as a full-service city because we own and operate ALL the public services we provide to residents. This includes Police, Fire, 9-1-1 Emergency Response, Libraries, Trash Collection, Street Maintenance, Traffic Maintenance, and Parks. All these services are subsidized by the General Fund, our main operating fund.
Where the Money Comes From
The General Fund is comprised of four primary revenue sources that constitute the vast majority of the financial resources allocated for operating expenses. Below is a breakdown to better illustrate the substantiality of these aforementioned sources:
Property Tax Revenue – 26.8%
Sales Tax Revenue – 20.3%
Utility Users Tax Revenue – 15.2%
Transfer Funds Revenue – 11.4%
In total, those four sources represent a significant 73.7% of the General Fund and enable us the ability to characterize Glendale as a full-service city.
Where the Money Goes
General Fund revenue plays a key role in providing the brunt of the funding for many city services.
Below is an appropriations breakdown:
Police – 38.4%
Fire – 24.6%
Parks – 5.7%
Library – 4.6%
Street Maintenance/ Public Works – 26.7%
As depicted above, General Fund appropriations contribute to Fire, Police, and 9-1-1 Emergency Response in a big way that cannot be understated. These public safety services rely on General Fund revenue almost entirely.
Ramifications of Funding Loss
Losing one or more of those revenue streams would seriously hinder our ability to continue owning and operating all our city services. Potential negative impacts include:
Reduction of up to 53 Police Officers
Loss of 37 Fire personnel
Closure of libraries and community centers
Inability to maintain streets and sidewalks
Conclusion
Those four primary General Fund revenue sources will continue to provide us the financial ability to provide you with the best services possible. Needless to say, potentially losing one or more of those revenue streams would deal a serious blow to our ability to function as a full-service city.
To learn more about the benefits of full-service city living, click here.
To view our Full-Service City Playlist, click here.
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