State of the City report: By the numbers
$1,803.81: Cost to Monroe for printing, delivery and mail preparation
$1,047.27: Cost of postage to mail the report
12: Number of pages, which include graphics, photos and charts
5,600: Copies sent to residents
1,000: Copies available at the city building
Source: City of Monroe
MONROE — Monroe officials recently mailed a state of the city report to update residents on its progress.
City Manager William Brock said the city put out the report to highlight its activities for 2009.
“It not only highlights the increase of services that we’re providing because of our growth, but also highlights, I think, financially how we’re doing. It gives a brief overview of everything, every department and how we’re functioning,” he said.
The 12-page multi-colored report includes a message from Mayor Robert Routson, a diagram explaining the hierarchy of the city’s council-manager form of government, and information about council, boards, and commission members.
The report provides a financial review of the city, which shows a 5 percent increase in its income tax revenue to end the year with a general fund balance of $5 million.
The year 2009 “was a challenging year for all governments due to the state of the economy. However, Monroe was very fortunate to see a 5 percent increase in income-tax revenue,” the report states.
“This combined with the city’s proactive approach to reduce expenditures allowed us to end the year with a stable general fund balance of $5 million.”
The report also provides information about each department and a look into the future of Monroe with pictures of the Joe Morgan Honda dealership currently under construction, and the city’s Ohio 63 and Interstate 75 interchange project.
In addition, the report contains a seven-question citizens survey.
The report also includes:
• An update on the city’s comprehensive plan and information about a door-to-door survey in the downtown area to try and qualify the area for Community Development Block Grant Funds.
• Information on the city’s economic development programs with a focus on being responsive to potential business leads.
• The Development Department’s plans to launch a formal business retention and expansion program by visiting businesses ranging from local merchants with two employees to international corporations that are some of the city’s largest employers.
Brock said the survey results are still coming into the city.
“We’ll probably start looking at the results at the end of the month,” he said.
The survey results will be presented to council during a meeting sometime in July, Brock said.
“The intent is to take those results and hopefully improve our services,” he said.
“In the future, I hope to expand on that survey and get a little more specific. As we move forward and seek some areas that need to be addressed, we’ll probably get more specific in those areas and try to narrow down where the issues are.”
Contact this reporter at (513) 483-5219 or dewilson@coxohio.com.
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