Category Archives: Budget

Council’s slush fund

Posted on February 26, 2023 by Robert Sullwold

Our topic today is the residual fund balance in excess of policy or fund balance deficits in the General Fund. Sound boring? We thought so. What if we called it, “Alameda City Council’s slush fund”? Ah, now we’ve got your … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, City Hall | Tagged ARPA, General Fund, Malia Vella, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Reserves, Tony Daysog | 16 Comments

Sounds like a plan

Posted on February 6, 2023 by Robert Sullwold

The City of Alameda loves its strategic plans. At least the staff who propose them and the Council members who vote for them do. And the consultants who get paid to prepare them can’t be too unhappy, either.

Posted in Budget, City Hall | Tagged Active Transportation Plan, Climate Action and Resiliency Plan, Equitable Building Decarbonization Plan, Homelessness, Jennifer Ott, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Transportation Choices Plan, Vision Zero Action Plan | 4 Comments

The Princes of Alameda

Posted on November 27, 2022 by Robert Sullwold

For years, the Merry‑Go‑Round believed that the savviest political operator ever to occupy an office at City Hall was former City Manager John Russo. But in our estimation Mr. Russo now has got himself a rival for the crown: City … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, City Hall, Development, Firefighters, Housing | Tagged 2013-17 IAFF MOU, Affirmatively further fair housing, Andrew Thomas, Ann Marie Gallant, Beverly Johnson, Doug deHaan, Housing Element, John Knox White, John Russo, Lena Tam, Malia Vella, Marie Gilmore, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, RHNA, Rob Bonta, Tony Daysog, Trish Spencer | 22 Comments

Sweet home Alameda

Posted on November 6, 2022 by Robert Sullwold

The Merry‑Go‑Round always has been unabashedly – and unashamedly – Alameda‑centric. Whenever we read a story comparing California cities by various metrics, our first instinct is to see whether the City of Alameda is mentioned. And if it isn’t, we … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, City Hall, Pensions | Tagged AUSD, Common Core, Fiscal distress, Smarter Balanced, Susan Davis | 9 Comments

The scorecard on Trish Spencer

Posted on October 9, 2022 by Robert Sullwold

Here’s your Alameda mayoral campaign quiz for the day: During the last two years, which candidate has voted in favor of the following “progressive,” pro‑bicycle, and pro‑development proposals brought before City Council: Renaming Jackson Park to Chochenyo Park; Authorizing planning … Continue reading →

Posted in Alameda Point, Budget, City Hall, Development, Housing | Tagged Automated license plate readers, Big Whites, Bottle Parcel, Chochenyo Park, Climate Action and Resiliency Plan, Council referrals, Emergency response vehicle, Encinal Terminals, Grand Street, Homelessness, Jackson Park, John Knox White, Kevin Kearney, Malia Vella, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Tony Daysog, Transit occupancy tax, Transportation Choices Plan, Trish Spencer, Vision Zero Action Plan | 6 Comments

$10 million+ for the homeless

Posted on September 9, 2022 by Robert Sullwold

During the last three years, the services offered, or planned to be offered, by our City government to the homeless population in Alameda have increased dramatically. So have the funds authorized by Council to be spent for that purpose.

Posted in Alameda Point, Budget, City Hall, Housing | Tagged ARPA, Big Whites, Bottle Parcel, CARES Act, Day center, HEAP, HHAP, Homelessness, Midway Shelter, Mobile outreach, Safe parking | 14 Comments

Using ARPA for GBI

Posted on May 15, 2022 by Robert Sullwold

Got a project that the U.S. Treasury would deem eligible under the American Rescue Plan Act? If so, the City of Alameda may have a deal for you – but you’d better act fast.

Posted in Budget, City Hall | Tagged ARPA, GBI, Guaranteed basic income, John Knox White, Malia Vella, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft | 8 Comments

Fund the police

Posted on February 20, 2022 by Robert Sullwold

There’s one lesson the Merry-Go-Round has learned about reviewing Council agendas since Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft became mayor: Don’t overlook the items on the “consent calendar.” If you do, you might miss something important – like, say, a staff recommendation that … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, City Hall | Tagged Alameda Police Department, APOA, Gerry Beaudin, Jim Oddie, John Knox White, Mali Watkins, Malia Vella, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Nancy Bronstein, Police | 9 Comments

The new new thing in pensions

Posted on October 17, 2021 by Robert Sullwold

Ever since we can remember (in our case, that’s 2012), the City has been struggling to find ways to ensure that it will be able to pay its retired employees the pensions it promised them. The problem is simple: As … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Pensions | Tagged Eric Levitt, John Knox White, Kevin Kearney, Kevin Kennedy, Normal cost, Pension Obligation Bonds, UAL, Unfunded accrued liabilities | 5 Comments

Spending the ARPA money

Posted on August 1, 2021 by Robert Sullwold

One conclusion is pretty clear from the two meetings at which Council has discussed how to spend the $28.6 million the City will be getting from the federal government under the American Rescue Plan Act: The majority of Council members … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, City Hall, Housing | Tagged Affordable housing, ARPA, Homelessness, John Knox White, Malia Vella, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Tony Daysog, Trish Spencer | 7 Comments

	Publius on Council’s slush fund
	Karen on Council’s slush fund
	Publius on Council’s slush fund
	Publius on Council’s slush fund
	Eric Strimling on Council’s slush fund