Mayor Jerry Sanders is back with his famous slow rollout. This time it’s his five-year financial plan, which will be announced in three separate pieces over the course of next week.
Day 1: Monday.
The mayor and CFO Jay Goldstone are slated to “define the scope” of the city’s “massive debt.” According to a press release, they are to outline eight main areas that account for the debt.
It’s believed those areas will include pension, retiree health care, deferred maintenance on city property and emergency reserves.
Day 2: Tuesday.
Sanders and Goldstone will discuss proposed solutions contained in the report.
Day 3: Wednesday.
The full document that comprises the five-year financial plan will be available.
If you recall, the mayor used a similar drip-drip-drip release to unveil his budget in the spring. He used the week leading up to the full release of the budget to highlight the budget’s perceived positives before giving out the full information to the press and public. That budget received mixed reviews, as many criticized it for not fully addressing the key issues that Sanders pledged to fix when taking office.
The five-year plan is being billed as a long-term blueprint for how the mayor will address the city’s numerous obligations. In addition to addressing the long-term debts, the mayor will also have to manage a 2008 budget next year that is expected to be much tougher than the previous years’ for a number of reasons.