Monday Morning Thoughts: Mayor vs Mayor Pro Tem, Renaissance vs Fiscal Peril
On Tuesday, Mayor Dan Wolk will deliver his version of the State of the City at the…
Are New Hotels Really the Key to New City Revenue? Existing Hotel Owners Skeptical
In early December, the Vanguard ran a story, “Can Hotels Be the Short-Term Revenue Fix That the…
The Fiscal Reality of the City Differs From the Mayor’s Column
By Robb Davis Recently our Mayor, my colleague, wrote: “Our budget is balanced and resilient. Due to…
Vanguard Commentary: Potential Revenue Measures Are Now A Mess
At the last city council meeting, city staff presented a report that showed the city is spending…
Analysis: FBC’s Recommendations On What We Should Do About Taxes
Before February the Davis City Council will have to make a decision as to whether to put…
Where Did A Parks Tax Proposal Come From?
On December 15, the council voted 3-2 to approve a motion to ask staff to return with…
My View: A Campaign Speech Under the Guise of the Mayor’s Monthly Column
Just before Christmas the local paper released the online version of “The Mayor’s Corner,” that will be…
Commentary: Moving in the Wrong Direction on Financial Issues
I increasingly find myself in a strange position with regard to city finances and the direction in…
Monday Morning Thoughts: Binding Council on a General Tax Vote
Although the Davis City Council did not take specific action last week on a tax measure, given…
My View: The Whole Tax Set Up Was Odd
In the last several days, we have looked into the impact of the soda tax discussion, but…
Where is the Council Headed on Taxes?
While much of the focus has been on the soda tax, the council on a 3-2 vote…
Panel Discussion on the MOU (Video)
On Saturday, about 30 members of the public filled the library of the Davis Community Church to…
Mayor Wolk Backs Off Support of Soda Tax (Video)
Council had a long discussion on Tuesday related to revenue measures. After hearing from numerous representatives of…
Analysis: Firefighters Remain Highest Paid in the City
Back in May of 2009, the Vanguard ran an analysis on “Why Do Firefighters Make Substantially More…
Council To Look at Tax Revenue Options
The Davis City Council, according to a city staff report, has until February 16 to put a…
Sunday Commentary: With Transparency and Justice For All…
It was a pretty good crowd for a Saturday, and the regular crowd shuffled into the Davis…
My View II: When Should Employee Compensation Increase?
Yesterday’s article on potential revenue from new hotels triggered another side discussion on employee compensation. The problem…
Analysis: Can Hotels Be the Short-Term Revenue Fix That the City Needs?
When Councilmember Rochelle Swanson was explaining her vote on the MOUs and explaining where the money might…
Commentary: Will MOU Fallout Impact Other Issues?
It may be that this is simply an issue that resonates only for the “Vanguard 10,” but…
Should the City Consider a Utility User Tax?
By Bob Fung How would you feel about the city adding as much as a 5 percent…