Santa Clara University

Street sweeping or homework centers? Skate park or senior center? Retirement incentives or layoffs?

As the streetsweeper came by my house this morning I was wondering how long it will be before this service is cut from the budget. Now it is a weekly service, but I know of some cities that don't sweep the streets anymore because there is not enough money.

California's new governor has been looking for all kinds of places to cut costs -- from fleet vehicles to cell phones. Cities are likewise examining each and every program, and trying to balance a mixture of vital services (police and fire) with very important programs (water treatment plant and upkeep of streets and sidewalks) with the kinds of things that make a community llivable -- good schools, clean parks, well-stocked libraries, and the like. (It could be argued that all of these are vital to a well-rounded community.)

If you were given a list of all the services your city povides, along with the cost of each and asked to balance those costs against the city's revenue, what would you choose? Would you cut services or increase taxes? Both? Share your thoughts by commenting on this post. It will be interesting to see how the citizens prioritize spending.