When I wrote last month about budget season, I asked for early input before the formal public hearing in May. Many of you responded. Thank you.
What I received wasn’t abstract commentary. It was specific, practical, sometimes passionate, sometimes skeptical, and always thoughtful. Residents raised concerns about infrastructure, growth, public safety, parks, water, roads, lighting, taxes, and long-term planning.
What struck me most was the range. People are thinking not only about how we maintain what we have, but also how we pay for what’s coming and how we preserve what makes Ivins feel like Ivins.
Budgeting is rarely about choosing between good and bad ideas. More often, it’s choosing between good and good. Every priority comes with a cost, and moving one project forward usually means another must wait.
The formal public hearing on May 21st is important, but by then much of the structure will already be set. The most useful time for input is now, while priorities are still flexible.
If you’d like to weigh in, here are a few questions that would help me understand what matter most to residents:
- What city services matter most to you right now?
- What should Ivins invest in sooner rather than later?
- Where should we be cautious about spending?
- What issue might we regret not planning for 10 years from now?
- If the city could move forward on only one major improvement next year, what should it be?
- If you could change or improve just one thing in Ivins, what would it be?
You don’t need to answer all of them. And you can come up with other questions to answer. Even a short note that says “Please prioritize ___” is helpful. When several residents independently raise the same issue, that tells me something important.
If you’d like to share your thoughts, email me at mike@MikeScott4Ivins.com.