Lodi's City Council needs to make a list of clear goals

Last week, I e-mailed our City Council members with this question: "Can you please provide me with the City Council's goals, as agreed to by all of you, for Lodi?"

Now, before I tell you what the responses were, I need to confess that I knew the overall answer before asking. The answer was "no," because they don't have any.

Also, I know that it wasn't the greatest question, because any of them could have responded with "yes," or since the "by all of you" could have been taken as only a 5-0 vote, I could have gotten a "no." Instead of "yes" or "no" or a list of the goals, I got one really interesting response.

The council member who did respond, and I respect the fact that they responded enough by itself that I will not embarrass them here, stated, "As you know there are 'goals' posted in the council chambers (or used to be)." Way to be on top of what your goals are.

Well, the only part that the person got right was the "used to be" part.

This council member went on to tell me that our city manager is using a list of budget policies and goals adopted in 2003 "as his benchmark for goals and policies to adopt the budget each year." No typo here — they are using goals and policies adopted in 2003.

Can we all agree that we are in different times than 2003? How can those policies and guidelines even apply?

The council member went on to say that "the council should be re-adopting (the goals) annually. Otherwise, I think the council goals have been simply 'keep the ship afloat.'"

No kidding?

If this is something that the council should be doing, why aren't they? How can our council make quality decisions without some goals, both short-term and long-term?

It is this "keep the ship afloat" mentality that must change. Our City Council has been reacting for too long, and it is time for them to become proactive in their thoughts and planning.

The council needs to spend a few Tuesday mornings identifying what their goals are so that they can always work toward them, and so staff can assist them. I think the latter portion of that statement is important, because staff works for the council and should implement council policy. In no way am I pointing this lack of goals and direction at city staff.

Just so you know, prior councils have had goals, and yes, some of those goals used to be listed in the council chamber.

In the 2001-2003 budget, the council listed goals and projects that they wanted to complete. This was continued until the 2003-2005 budget. Did they get them all done? No. Have some of them been completed? Yes — the police building, the veterans' plaza and the skate park are the tangible projects that were completed.

Goals can keep your eye on the ball and make decisions easier — unless you don't revisit them or ask yourself how you are going to accomplish them.

Our council needs to make some short-term and long-term goals. The goals need to be in policy and in tangible things that the public can touch when they are achieved. When they are done making their goals, they should put them on the wall in the council chamber, and they should held accountable for them.

John Johnson, CFA, is a Lodi-based business appraiser. Contact him at john@johnejohnson.com or 369-1451.

Reader Feedback

sam wrote on Oct 29, 2009 8:59 PM:

" So Dogs, it will be a mess to fix the sewer pipes so just let the "stuff" flow downhill into the water supply?

Seriously? "

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Lodi's City Council needs to make a list of clear goals

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