His is not a new face in town politics, and he's certainly no newcomer to town leadership. But when Steve Glickman delivered the State of the Town address on Feb. 9 in the Los Gatos Town Council chambers, he made it official—he's the new guy in charge.
For Mayor Glickman, the State of the Town message marked his coming out party as the town's official leader. But while the evening may have had a celebratory feel, the message he was delivering was anything but festive. While the state of the town appears to be strong enough, the same cannot said for the state of California. And one most certainly could have an adverse impact on the other.
Glickman's words remained upbeat during his address as he indicated that the town faces "budget challenges" in the coming year, yet that the "town remains on solid ground financially because we were prudent during the good times."
Still, it came through loud and clear that those "fiscal challenges because of the slow economy" could be exacerbated by continuing financial woes at the state level. Glickman indicated that the town already projects a $1.4 shortfall in the 200405 fiscal year, a shortfall that could become even a larger deficit given continuing budget cuts at the state level.
He admitted that labor is the greatest expenditure for the town, and mentioned reduction in library services, deferring parks and tree service, and delays in police department response time for non-emergency calls—in other words, layoffs for town personnel.
Glickman attempted to remain upbeat during his address. But the truth is, Los Gatos is going to experience some tough economic times under his watch. He did offer solutions, though, that could help the town weather the economic storm. And it's a theme this newspaper has long advocated—support local merchants.
By supporting local businesses, residents support their town. Glickman indicated that for every taxable dollar spent in Los Gatos, the town receives 1 cent in sales tax. A healthy local economy can help to improve the town's fiscal health.
In his message, Glickman wanted to:
* Remind the community to shop Los Gatos;
* Suggest that residents encourage their friends to shop and dine in Los Gatos;
* Encourage visitors to make Los Gatos their destination for hotel and motel visits (increasing revenue from the hotel/motel tax);
* Encourage homebuyers to buy homes in
Los Gatos.
The town council will review the budget in a special session on Feb. 24, considering two alternatives—a 6 percent budget cut or a 12 percent budget cut. Neither of the plans paints a rosy picture for the year to come.
Still, Glickman appeared hopeful as he delivered his State of the Town address last week. Let's hope he's just as positive when he delivers his outgoing address later this year.
