On June 15, with the departure of City Manager Cameron Benson, the Hollywood City Commission appointed the Assistant City Manager, Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark, to serve as Interim City Manager. The City is facing a projected budget shortfall for the current fiscal year of $10.3 million and is working on closing a projected budget gap of approximately $25 million for fiscal year 2012, which begins in October. The Hollywood Gazette asked the Interim City Manager about her plans, her top priorities and what residents can expect.
Securing the City’s financial future is, without a doubt, the top priority for the City administration. While headlines about layoffs and salary cuts are difficult to read and especially hard on our employees, we are working with a solid team of individuals, including outside experts, who are focused and committed to the tough task at hand.
We are looking at everything and developing real solutions that will preserve public safety and allow us to continue to meet the needs of our residents. There are no easy choices, and we will not be able to propose a budget to the City Commission that continues to fund every program and service we have provided in the past.
Additionally, we are in substantive discussions with the three labor unions that represent most of our employees in an effort to reduce costs, and we are looking at all viable options for generating new revenue.
In the coming days, residents will be able to find out more about the City’s budget and financial picture by attending the City Commission budget workshop at 3:30 p.m. on July 7 or the Commission meeting on July 13. These meetings will also be broadcast live on the City’s government access cable channel 78 for Comcast subscribers and on Hollywood Community Television for AT&T U-verse customers. City Commission meetings can also be viewed on the web at www.hollywoodfl.org.
In accepting the interim appointment, I expressed to the Commission that I would not be seeking the position in a permanent capacity. The Commission will hold a workshop on July 6 at 10 a.m. in Room 215 of Hollywood City Hall to discuss the City Manager search. City Staff will present the Commission with options for the search process which could include the City’s Human Resources staff heading up the search or the City employing an outside search firm or some combination of both. I think it is very important that the public have opportunities to provide input into the process and the selection criteria. It’s too soon to put a time frame on all of this because it’s important to remember the goal is not simply to “get it done;” it’s to “get it done right.”
While budget issues are a key focus, we cannot afford to ignore other important initiatives. In the past couple weeks, I joined emergency operations staff in the City’s annual Emergency Operations exercise led by the Hollywood Police Department to ensure the City is prepared for the hurricane season or any other full-scale disaster. I’ve also met with the Police Chief and Fire Chief on public safety issues and Planning & Development Services Director Jaye Epstein on the issue of redevelopment along the key corridors of SR 7/441, Dixie Highway and Federal Highway. I continue to meet weekly with CRA Executive Director Jorge Camejo to coordinate City and CRA efforts. Additionally, I’m happy to report the Margaritaville project on the beach continues to move forward, having recently received its Regional Center approval from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services allowing it to begin marketing the project to foreign investors under the EB-5 (Fifth Preference) program.
The Interim City Manager can be reached by e-mail at csr@hollywoodfl.org or by calling the office at 954-921-3201.
