As described in this post, the City aims to undertake a comprehensive review of municipal operations, service levels, and spending priorities, with the goal of improving efficiency and better respecting resource constraints in coming years.
During the past two weeks, the City Council appointed fifteen citizen volunteers to lead this effort. They are (in alphabetical order): Judith Berger, David Bieber, Michael Boyle Sr., Emily Bromberg, Kyran Cassidy, Matthew Costa, Michael D’Ambrosio, Jeffrey Hastie, Linda Kelly-Fauci, Bo Kemp, Todd Kern, Martha Lopez-Hanratty, David Peters, Ann Rolett, and John Rorer. Together, they bring to this challenge diverse perspectives and a wealth of experience in financial and organizational analysis. I am grateful to each of the Panel members for their anticipated service.
From this outstanding group, the Council selected Todd Kern to serve as the Panel’s Chairperson, a difficult role that demands a serious time commitment and a talent for collaborative leadership. Todd is more than up to the job, as you can see from his background, and we are lucky that he has consented to this assignment. We’ll also benefit from the pro bono consulting services of North Avenue Research, led by New Rochelle resident Mark Grotevant.
The number of qualified applicants for the Panel exceeded the number of available positions. As a result, we had no choice but to turn down many offers from capable residents. The Panel’s activities should include opportunities for public input, so I hope that those who were not selected will still choose to contribute to this process.
I will be a member of the Panel myself and look forward to rolling up my sleeves and taking an active role in its deliberations.
The Panel will convene in February and work through July, with recommendations generated in time to help shape New Rochelle’s 2013 budget.