City Finance 101

By Lookout Staff

January 4, 2000 -- Where the money comes from, where the money goes, that's the topic of Santa Monica's first Leadership Series meeting tonight.

City Finance Director Mike Dennis will teach a short course on city finance 101 called "City Budget Basics," from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Ken Edwards Center at 1527 Fourth Street.

"Our goal is to have more Santa Monicans informed about municipal finance as we move through the budget development process for the next fiscal year," Dennis said in a statement. "The city budget is really the community's budget, so it shouldn't be mysterious or confusing."

Dennis will take participants on a tour through the various parts of the municipal budget and explain the city's revenue sources and expenditure categories. The mysteries of bond financing, enterprise funds, redevelopment tax increment funding, block grant funding and other municipal finance topics will also be revealed by Dennis.

City Budget Basics is the first course in the Leadership Series 2000, which will continue bimonthly throughout the year, covering a variety of city government-related topics. Other courses will include "Your 2 cents: Public Process in Santa Monica" on March 7, "It's the Law: A Briefing on the City Attorney's Office" on May 2, "Whole Lotta Projects Goin' On" city tour on July 8, "Hammers & Nails: Planning & Permitting in Santa Monica" Sept. 5, and "Youth Speak!" to encourage teen involvement in civic life on November 7.

Call (310) 458-8301 to register for the free course tonight. Enrollment is limited to 50. All materials will be provided. The Ken Edwards Center is accessible for persons with disabilities and is served by Big Blue Bus lines 1, 3, 7 and 8.