PRESS RELEASE - City of Port Townsend Wins National Award for Financial Sustainability Work
Award is the City’s second in 4 years from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA)
PORT TOWNSEND – The City of Port Townsend is honored to announce their selection as the winner of the 2024 ICMA Award for Local Government Excellence in Community Sustainability for the City’s Financial Sustainability Initiative.
The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) is the world’s leading association of professional city and county managers and other employees who serve local governments, serving over 11,000 members and their jurisdictions. This national award for local government excellence recognizes local government programs that demonstrate innovation, excellence, and success in balancing that community's social, economic, environmental, and cultural needs. One award in each category is presented to one local government across the nation in three population ranges (less than 10,000, 10,000 to 49,999, and 50,000 and greater).
City Manager John Mauro says, “I’m delighted for the City to be recognized on the national stage, yet again, for excellence and innovation in our work with our community. It was a real team effort and the challenge stimulated us to work even more collaboratively and courageously together. I’d like to thank the Financial Sustainability Task Force – Catharine Robinson, Earll Murman, John Nowak, and Rich Jahnke – for their endurance and intelligence and for City Council for their support of the initiative and their leadership in acting immediately on the report findings. A huge thanks also goes to the City team, especially the core team for this initiative – Carrie Hite, Connie Anderson, Emma Bolin, Shelly Leavens, and Steve King – who managed their incredibly difficult daily operations to focus so strategically and purposefully on our community’s sustainable future. They are truly some of the highest quality professionals in the business.”
The City’s Financial Sustainability Initiative was a multi-year strategic effort to map out pathways for the City to meet ongoing and evolving community needs over the long term. While the City has delivered balanced budgets and financial prudence over time, gradual divestment and neglect of core infrastructure has threatened to escalate costs, limit options for steady improvement, and defer decision-making and solutions onto future generations. The aim of the initiative: to deliver sustained, efficient, fair, and affordable provision of basic infrastructure and services that underpin a healthy natural environment, meaningful economic development, and a high quality of life for residents.
The City established a Financial Sustainability Task Force in 2022 to assist with a review of the City’s current financial position and identify options for the future to recommend to City Council. The Task Force began its work at their first meeting on November 18, 2022, and met five times, including one joint workshop with City Council. They submitted a report with recommendations to City Council for long-term financial sustainability options in the summer of 2023. The Task Force recommendations focus holistically on all city services with an emphasis on strategic priorities determined through widespread community engagement and planning over a number of years, including core services, housing, streets, and parks. The report may be viewed here.
Also included as part of the initiative was the debut of the City’s YouTube video presence, spearheaded by Communications & Marketing Manager Shelly Leavens who had recently joined the City team. The series can be found on the City’s YouTube channel here.
Shortly after the recommendations to City Council were made in June 2023, the City Council integrated the report’s findings and the thrust of the initiative into the development of their multi-year strategic workplan. As part of that, and immediately following, a Transportation Benefit District (TBD) was established and a 0.3% sales tax for local transportation funding was put before the voters of Port Townsend for consideration in the fall of 2023. It passed with nearly 80% of the vote.
With corresponding changes to the sewer rate and newly-created utility discount program, initiatives in parks and housing, and the work building on an update to the Comprehensive Plan, the Financial Sustainability Initiative continues to be a blueprint for the communities long-term viability, sustainability, and success.
See more on ICMA here.
See more on ICMA awards here.
See more on the City'ss Financial Sustainability Initiative here.
