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The
public will get a chance to tour the new $24 million Lincoln
City Hall and Western Placer
Unified School
District offices on Saturday, March 29 at 10 a.m.
For more information, call 916-434-2448.
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No layoffs predicted, but city keeping some positions vacant
Lincoln has been listed as one of the fastest growing cities in the state and that growth is largely responsible for keeping the town’s finances in the black while other cities struggle with declining revenues.
Sales tax receipts for Placer County slipped 6.9 percent in the third quarter 2007 compared to the same time in 2006, according to a financial report released by The HdL Companies. Lincoln saw a slight gain of 4.3 percent, but the number is skewed, according to the report, because a “temporary use tax allocation” artificially boosted the bottom line.
As fourth quarter sales tax figures come out over the next few weeks, cities across the county are bracing for bad news, but according to Lincoln City Manager Gerald Johnson, the city is on track.
As reported in previous editions of the Sentinel, cities across the county are facing tough choices. Auburn is slashing up to seven positions and offering early retirement to an eighth employee. Rocklin doesn’t have a true “hiring freeze” in place, but according to City Manager Carlos Uruttia, they are in no hurry to fill ten vacant positions. Colfax, which lost 19 percent of its sales tax receipts in the third quarter of last year, is in the black due to some fiscally prudent measures taken by the City Council in September 2007. But, according to Colfax Mayor Jim Albright, the city is facing tough economic choices for next year’s budget. Loomis, the hardest hit with a 22 percent drop, weathered the storm because other tax monies were up overall. In his weekly radio address, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger described 2008 as “Another down year, a famine year.”
Despite the dire predictions, Lincoln has no layoff plans for city workers and, according to Johnson, the city fared well financially if the latest sales tax figures are any indication.
“We’ll be about the same, (once adjustments are made) for reporting anomalies,” he said, estimating a 4 percent increase in sales tax receipts for fourth quarter 2007 compared to a year ago. He credited the sales tax increase with the recent addition of large retailers.
Lincoln is taking the less drastic approach regarding staffing levels that Rocklin has adopted.
“We are holding some positions open as vacancies occur,” he said, “(shifting duties to other staff members) rather than hire a new person.”
Johnson is retiring as the city manager but before he goes, he must present a budget to the city council.
“The 2007-2008 budget is on track. We’ve had to make some minor adjustments,” he said. “We’re just beginning the process for the 2008-2009 budget (but it’s) too early to (discuss).”
The city is waiting to see what is going to happen at the state level with their budget crisis. Johnson said the city also needs parcel tax information from the county assessor’s office.
On Saturday, April 5, the city will celebrate the grand opening of the new Foskett Regional Park located at 1911 Finney Way. The 42-acre park will feature lighted softball and soccer fields, children’s play areas, a path for pedestrians and bicycles as well as picnic areas.
Construction on the park began 19 months ago in September 2006. The final price tag is $12.4 million, or $652,632 for every month of construction. According to Jill Thompson, the city’s Public Information Officer, the park is publicly funded through taxes and developer fees.
At the City Council meeting slated for Tuesday night (after the Sentinel’s press deadline), the Public Works Department is asking the Lincoln City Council to approve a loan transfer of $400,000 from the city’s solid waste funds to the city’s parks fund as well as approve all $635,826 in change orders for the park project – less than two weeks before the planned grand opening.
Johnson’s replacement will be James Estep, the current Interim City Manager for Elk Grove, and will receive a salary of $197,000. Estep will begin working as the “city manager designee” on April 28 and will assume full responsibility on May 1.
Estep will take the helm of a city that has a thriving historic downtown area thanks to a revitalization effort on the part of the city. Just last week, the city’s redevelopment agency received an award for that effort from the Placer County Economic Development Board.
He will also be sitting in a shiny new $24 million City Hall building that is shared with the Western Placer Unified School District. According to Johnson, the city’s share of the building’s construction cost was $6 million.
Businesses are ‘optimistic’ According to Mike Lee, president of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, the business climate is a good one in town and the chamber’s membership is growing.
He said the addition of new box stores like Lowes, Home Depot, Target, Ross and TJ Maxx shows that business is good in Lincoln.
“There have been some businesses that have closed such as Wendy’s,” he said, “but Lincoln is still a growing community.”
He also said the Highway 65 bypass project will inject revenue into the local economy.
“The bypass is a real positive,” he said. “It will make downtown more pedestrian friendly. (The) construction itself, over the next two to three years will help the businesses with the workforce that will be here. We’re optimistic.”
Money Matters
• Foskett Regional Park
Opening: April 5
Cost: $12.4 million
Note: Less than two weeks prior to the park’s opening, the Lincoln City Council is being asked to transfer/loan $400k and approve $635k in change orders related to the park.
• Lincoln City Hall
Dedication: Saturday
Total cost: $24 million
Cost to city: $6 million
Note: Building is shared with Western Placer Unified School District.
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