MESSAGE FROM THE CITY MANAGER KEN PULSKAMP
December 2003


Dear Friends:

Now that we are in the holiday season, I want to remind you to shop within the City limits. Shopping in Santa Clarita helps keep tax revenue right here in our City. When you shop outside the City limits, our City does not retain any of the tax revenue. For every dollar you spend in Santa Clarita, the City retains one cent that goes directly towards the programs and projects you want to see.

This year, as a result of your local purchases, the City was able to keep $25 million in sales tax revenue right here in Santa Clarita. This money went directly towards things like building the new $9 million Aquatic Center at the Sports Complex in Canyon Country, constructing a new community center in Newhall, new landscaped medians on Bouquet Canyon Road in Saugus, and the addition of a new traffic safety deputy. Thank you for helping keep local tax dollars right here where they belong; in Santa Clarita!

This year, the City is very proud of the numerous accomplishments achieved in Santa Clarita. A united and hard-working City Council, a dedicated and professional city staff, and a concerned and involved community have helped bring about incredible programs and projects that benefit our City. Despite a tumultuous State budget, a sluggish statewide economy, the Iraq war and other hurdles, our City, through streamlining and revamping, has been able to maintain a high level of service, without reductions to our staff or our programs.

As the new year unfolds, I want to cordially invite you to continue to stay involved in your City. Early in 2004, the City will be embarking upon a new community strategic planning process called The Big Picture. Our goal is to involve more people in this process than ever before. Community meetings, an easy-to-return postcard, a speakers’ bureau program, email response and a telephone hotline (1-888-BIG-PIC1) will all be available so that you can let us know what programs, projects, events and work is important to you. For more information, contact the City of Santa Clarita at 661/259-2489.

As always, feel free to drop me message via email at kpulskamp@santaclarita.com

Sincerely,


Ken Pulskamp
City Manager