TORY GATTIS posts his extensive “wish list” agenda for Mayor Parker, but starts with the basics:
She faces a difficult financial situation at the city, and obviously her first priority will be getting that under control. In addition to those short-term pressures, there are the long-term financial issues of city employee pensions and Metro’s solvency, with rail cost estimates spiraling upward and revenue shrinking. If she does nothing else in the next two years but fix those financial problems and get the city and Metro on a sustainable financial path (without raising taxes), she’ll have one of the most accomplished mayoral terms in city history….
To the immediate financial problems, I would add improving the management at both METRO (which has problems with accountability not to mention a bloated PR department for a public agency) and HPD (understaffing, crime lab, and the soon-to-be-returning-to-Arizona chief bungler come to mind as inherited issues), along with some needed public works scrutiny (we’ll defer to contributor Ubu Roi’s wisdom here). We’re good basic-government types, and we hope Ms. Parker will return a needed focus to finances, transit, police, and public works.
