The Week Ahead & Your Quiz

ARE YOU STILL HERE?
Are you still there? Rapture or not, I knew some of us would still be around today. But, just to cover my bases, I took the lovely and patient Mrs. Pot Stirrer off to our favorite place - a real slice of paradise - for the weekend. We loved every second of our short trip and about one minute past 6 yesterday I looked around to make sure she was still there. When I saw her smiling face looking back at me I knew this latest "rapture" baloney was a hoax, because if ANYONE is going to disappear with the rapture it's my sweet wife of almost 44 years. So, I just kept on smiling, knowing that the next time I have to worry about this again is December 2012, when the Mayan calendar tells us that we're all toast. Until then...

PLANNING COMMISSION STUDY SESSION ON MONDAY
Now, back to business. It's going to be a busy week for some of us in Costa Mesa. Monday the Planning Commission is holding a Study Session in Conference Room 1A at City Hall beginning at 5:30 p.m. p.m. at which the Westside plans will be re-hashed and a discussion will be held on Granny and Accessory units. These discussions could be VERY important to every Westside resident and business and to every resident planning or who presently has a granny unit or accessory structure.

CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION ON TUESDAY
Tuesday the City Council will hold their own Study Session beginning at 4:30 in the council chambers. Three items are on the agenda: 1) Fiscal Year 2011-2012 Preliminary Budget Overview and Presentation, 2) Discussion and Analysis about FY 11-12 Estimated Revenues, including a presentation on Sales Tax by Hdl; Property Taxes; Transient Occupancy Taxes and Other revenues and 3) a presentation regarding the "Orange County Voter Survey on Pension Reform" conducted by the Association of California Cities - Orange County.

PARKS & REC. COMMISSION ON WEDNESDAY
Wednesday the Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its meeting in City Council chambers beginning at 6:00. In addition to a consideration for the donation of two (2) trees and memorial plaques, it will also discuss Field User Rentals Fees for Group 1 Organizations; Field Maintenance Fees for All Group Field Users; a request for Group 1 Field User status for Newport Mesa Friday Night Lights Flag Football; Newport Mesa Girls Softball Request for Grace Period; a Review of Proposed Capital Improvement Program for FY 2011-2012 through 2017-2018 and Smoking Prohibition at City Athletic Fields and Community Gardens.

I WARNED YOU...
You will recall that when I last posted I gave you a homework assignment - to plow through the Preliminary Budget and be ready for a Pop Quiz. Well, I warned you, so just to be sure you're ready for the City Council Study Session on Tuesday, here are ten easy questions for you.

1 - Public Safety (Police and Fire) combine to make up what percentage of Total Appropriations?
a) 75.2%
b) 50.55%
c) 47.55%
d) 61.26%

2 - Sales Tax (44.14%) and Property Tax (22.15%) make up more than 66% of General Fund Resources. Which funding source ranks third?
a) Fines and Forfeitures
b) Transient Occupancy Tax
c) Other Government Agencies/Other Revenue
d) Fees/Charges

3 - Retirement represents what percentage of General Fund Appropriations?
a) 14.63%
b) 26.4%
c) 47.05%
d) 58.4%

4 - In the Preliminary Budget the Capital Budget proposed for FY 11-12 represents what percentage increase over the FY 10-11 Adopted Budget?
a) 7.50%
b) 8.88%
c) 155.00%
d) 173.33%

5 - The Preliminary General Fund Budget is $97.9 million. How much use of fund balance will be necessary to result in a balanced budget?
a) $3.3 million
b) $6.2 million
c) $1.6 million
d) $15.5 million

6 - Salaries and Benefits represent what percentage of General Fund Appropriations?
a) 88.8%
b) 74.19%
c) 90.2%
c) 67.4%

7 - As portrayed in the Preliminary Budget, Personnel Head Count for FY 11-12 is:
a) 611
b) 489
c) 474
d) 498

8 - Based on the Preliminary Budget the General Fund expense for the City Attorney's Office for FY 11-12 represents an increase over the FY10-11 Adopted Budget of:
a) 32.5%
b) 7.5%
c) 15.5%
d) 22.4%

9 - The term "Fund Balance" as used in this Budget means the City Council slush fund used for special projects.
a) True
b) False

10 - In the Preliminary Budget the City Council expenditures are $209,645 and represent what percent increase?
a) 6.55%
b) 2.27%
c) 9.65%
d) 7.50%

TOTAL YOUR POINTS
OK, add up your scores. 10 points for each correct answer. Since you've studied the Preliminary Budget at length you all should get 100 Points. In case you need a little crib sheet you can read the entire Preliminary Budget Document HERE, the Budget Summaries, HERE and CEO Tom Hatch's Memo, HERE.

EXTRA CREDIT
And, for extra credit, here's one final question. Answer it correctly and you get 10 more points.

11 - Near the front, on the "Listing of Public Officials" in the Preliminary Budget, there are nine (9) names shown. How many of those named are permanent, full-time employees of the City of Costa Mesa today. Caution: This may be a trick question.
a) 7
b) 4
c) 3
d) 2

ANSWERS HERE
Here are the correct answers to all of the questions above. Did you cheat and look ahead? Are you ready for the next couple council meetings and study sessions, where everything you EVER wanted to know about the municipal budget will be explained to you? See you there.

1-b; 2-c; 3-a; 4-d; 5-a; 6-b; 7-b; 8-a; 9-b; 10-b; 11-c