Monrovia Mayor Mary Ann Lutz' State of the City Speech

Full text of Mayor Mary Ann Lutz's State of the City speech: http://goo.gl/GRxhY

My take on the general tone of the speech: We're doing okay and will continue improving, but it's not going to be easy.

A few of her looking-ahead comments:

~  "We'll survive" the loss of redevelopment.

~  "We begin this new year optimistically, but with continued concerns."

~  "I can tell you, the County's ‘Most Business Friendly City' isn't going to miss any opportunity to stimulate jobs, attract business or reinvest in ourselves this year."

~ "If MAP [the award-winning 'Monrovia Area Partnership'] is now going to have to compete for limited General Fund dollars with other City programs, then something may have to give. More cutbacks may be needed, somewhere." But, she added, "we do not intend for MAP to go away."

~ ` Sales and property taxes are 'trending up,' but with the loss of redevelopment dollars, "we have a potential deficit of more than $1 million."

~ The city will be dealing with commercial recycling and waste-water runoff this year.

- Brad Haugaard