There is plenty of good news for Vacaville

There is plenty of good news for Vacaville
By Melissa Murphy/ MMurphy@TheReporter.com
Posted: 02/28/2009

It's not all bad news for Vacaville, according to city leaders who gave Friday's State of the City address.

In fact, Mayor Len Augustine said, there is plenty of good news.

With a strategic plan in place, along with a healthy General Fund reserve, he said that Vacaville is doing much better than surrounding cities.

During their speeches, Augustine and Interim City Manager Laura Kuhn talked about public safety, the strength of the local economy, the city's viability and how the city expects to maintain services.

Although Vacaville has seen an increase in the number of robberies -- 117 in 2008, up from 83 in 2007 -- the number was heading downward in the second half of the year, Augustine explained. There were 69 robberies in the first six months of 2008, and 48 during the last six.

To keep residents safe and informed, the 530-AM radio station was established and is operating. Public service announcements are broadcast regularly. When there is an emergency, residents can tune in for instant information.

New businesses also have been interested in locating in Vacaville and surrounding areas. Augustine said he's excited to see Competitive Power Adventures Inc., a Maryland-based company, looking to build a power plant on city-owned property in Elmira, which could mean $3 million for Vacaville.

Last year Vacaville also welcomed State Compensation Insurance Fund, which boasts 640 employees in a state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly facility just off Interstate 505.

The Barrier Systems Inc. headquarters also moved to Vaca Valley Parkway, bringing 24 employees to the area. Operating a unique-looking contraption, company employees effortlessly move barriers so that traffic lanes can be added during rush hours, reducing congestion and improving safety, according to its Web site.

New businesses means more jobs for Vacaville residents.

Compared with other Solano County cities, Vacaville has one of the lowest unemployment rates. It stands at 6.4 percent, followed by Rio Vista with 6.2 percent and Benicia with 5.3 percent.

Statewide, the unemployment rate is 10.1 percent and 8.6 percent throughout Solano County. Augustine attributed the relatively stable economy to jobs at Travis Air Force Base and the prisons.

Still, Augustine and Kuhn repeatedly stressed how important it is to shop in Vacaville, which generates taxes, increasing revenues.

"Our budget is made up of a variety of funding sources," Kuhn said. "We're working on the reserves, but there is an issue of dwindling funds coming in. There is a constant balancing act with revenues and expenditures."

Augustine acknowledged that those dwindling funds are worrisome and said city officials continue to be cautious.

"We don't know what the future holds," he said. "There is great stability in Vacaville and we want it to stay that way. We will come out of this because we always have the future in mind. It's not doomsday. There will be good at the end of all of this."

Kuhn said that the city is doing the best it can to stay proactive and not wait until its reserves have dwindled. City staff continues to meet with employee bargaining units in hopes of finding a way to keep the city's 15 percent reserve.

"We have to look at everything," she said, adding that Vacaville has the same resources to draw from as other government agencies dealing with declining revenues. Furloughs and layoffs are among the options, she said, adding that the list hasn't been prioritized yet.