DURANGO, Colo. – Two main themes, maintaining the City’s aging infrastructure and retaining the City’s current workforce, are featured in the City of Durango’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2009, recently released by City Manager Ron LeBlanc. The overall total budget will increase 3.41 percent from the 2008 Approved Budget of $51,508,082 to the 2009 Proposed Budget of $53,984,117.

Among proposals laid out in the budget are reorganization of several City functions and operations for increased efficiency and improved accountability; the transfer of program oversight of Parks, Open Space and Trails land acquisition directly to the City Manager’s Office; a new Department of Sustainable Services; trash fee increases to finance sustainability programs; an Inter-Modal Coordinator Position to be located within the Transit Division; a systematic fee review by department; simplification of the Transit fee structure and monthly passes; proposed free parking on Saturdays; and a recommended 5 percent Sewer Rate increase.

“This is a goal-directed budget that focuses on the seven major goal statements developed by the City Council at their retreat in April,” said LeBlanc. “Linking those goals to the department’s actual expenditures makes it easier for the citizens to track how their money is actually spent.”

The proposed budget is available on the City’s website at www.durangogov.org.  For additional information, contact the City Manager’s office at 375.5005.

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