Newly elected Beavercreek council member and mayor Julie Vann personally thanks the voters and describes her vision for the future of Beavercreek in a special letter to the residents of Beavercreek.
Following the election, we invited newly elected council member and mayor Julie Vann to share her vision for the future of Beavercreek in the coming years with our readers. Below is a special message to the residents of Beavercreek from Julie Vann thanking the voters and outlining her goals for the future.
A Letter to the Residents of Beavercreek from Julie Vann
I am honored to provide political leadership as the Mayor of Beavercreek for the next two years! I truly appreciate the support of the voters and all who helped with my campaign. I am excited about the Council team and hope that together we can provide sound decision making and leadership.
Beavercreek Mayor 2008-09
As I move toward the 1st of January, when I will be the Mayor, I am thinking about team building and of course Robert’s Rules. Beavercreek is lucky to have a cross-section of the community in this year’s elected officials. Each brings a slightly different perspective to what needs to be done in Beavercreek. I hope to establish patterns of respect, so that each elected official’s voice is heard. I know there will be disagreements and minority opinions, but I hope to provide positive energy and lead systematic discussions toward sound policy making. I want Beavercreek city governance to be respected by Beavercreek residents and the adjacent communities. I will bring a positive energy to the policymaking board.
My top five priorities:
1. Strong and diligent fiscal management with performance standards
2. Gathering community input about priorities for the next 5 years and
20 years, so a long range plan can be defined.
3. Developing a long range financial plan for the City, which will include
thoroughly evaluating the option for an Earned Income Tax, plus
alternative options, and letting voters make the final choice.
4. To provide support to City organizations, including the Senior Center,
and the Beavercreek Youth Council.
5. To be open to new ideas, opportunities, and partnerships that will
make Beavercreek a better or more sustainable community.
City Council has been reviewing the budget for 2008. It is presented as a line item budget. I hope in 2009 we can consider a budget that defines the level of service that will be provided for the dollars that are allocated to each department or program. Benchmark or performance standard budgeting is a common best practice. As we explore how much money it will take to meet community needs, we will have to define the police response time to calls, the processing time of development applications, the number of lane miles of streets that will be surfaced. Those performance standards or benchmarks will provide shared understanding of the level of service that can be provided within a specified budget. Mike Cornell has improved the budget document for 2008. I hope it will go to the next level in 2009.
I am passionate about guiding Beavercreek toward a healthy sustainable future. Beavercreek has an opportunity to be a great suburban community that is efficiently and effectively managed to meet community needs affordably. I pushed for the Visioning Plan in 2001, because I believe it is very important to work toward a goal of the type of community we want to be. Do we want Beavercreek to be like Riverside? Xenia? Fairborn? Kettering? Centerville? There are many suburban communities in Ohio and across the USA, so it would be wise to implement some best practices, so Beavercreek will be a thriving community for decades to come. City Manager Mike Cornell is already planning a survey of residents during 2008. I will whole heartedly support that information gathering. It is important to define the quality of city we want and work toward that goal. If we don’t define an expectation for a level of quality, then policies will be haphazard and urban studies document that the end product will be substandard. I look forward to defining a community-wide consensus of the quality of life Beavercreek is striving toward.
Of course a big piece of that plan needed to be a comprehensive financial plan. The city needs to map out a timeline and expected maintenance/ replacement/ upgrades costs for all existing streets, storm sewers, detention ponds, parks, bridges, traffic lights, bikeways, city owned facilities, etc. Then we need a tax expert, to work with staff, and figure out the options for paying for those needs. I would expect the expert to present several scenarios or options. I would expect the report would also define the pro’s and con’s of each alternative. I would expect a professional critique of the Earned Income Tax proposal that was developed by the citizen group. I would also expect a few more options to be presented. One might even explore the future of the golf course. Beavercreek has been surviving on a shoestring budget, unable to meet community needs for traffic improvements, bikeway improvements, sound policy analysis, etc. I hope there are enough votes on Council to hire a professional to provide sound research and advice. It is the voters who ultimately need another opportunity to decide whether it will be an Earned Income Tax or an increase in Property Tax. I just hope we can have sound verified research, so that whatever proposal is put on the ballot is something that will be workable and will stand up in court.
Many know that I have actively supported increased programming for youth. I observed the need when my children were teens. My children were actively engaged, but many youth feel left out and unattached to a group. There has not been much change. The need continues to be significant. Research in Ohio, the USA and internationally document the value of community based programming for youth. Beavercreek has many energetic and talented youth who love their hometown. They are willing to donate time and energy to community service projects. They are hungry for opportunities to build and practice leadership skill development. They are active in Beavercreek neighborhoods, so they are aware of issues and concerns that need to be addressed. The City established a Youth Development Committee that was to be filled with adults willing to be mentors to the youth as they plan and implement community service, civic learning, leadership development, and social events. I know that for 2008 that the Beavercreek Youth Council has the hope of creating an “Amazing Race of Beavercreek” event, which will potentially be held over Memorial Day weekend, replacing the 24-Hour Relay that is no longer held. City Council need to appoint adults to that committee for 2008. It is a great opportunity for our community and for the youth.
My goal for Beavercreek is to be forward thinking. We do not have enough resources to solve all problems on our own. As a City we need to be willing to collaborate with citizens, schools, faith communities, industry, and other jurisdictions. We are not an island. It is essential that we build meaningful partnerships to solve recreation, workforce, and industry needs. Beavercreek needs to be willing to consider new ideas and opportunities. As the Mayor, I will listen to input. I will do my part to build the relationships needed to have Beavercreek be a successful, thriving, sustainable community for decades to come.
Contributed by Julie Vann, Mayor of Beavercreek C-BR20071127-01
