SAN MARCOS — Gluttony is not a characteristic of the city as it now moves in a new direction regarding its oversight and management of tax dollars and communication.
It’s why City Manager Michele Bender pried Kristina Ray away from the city of Carlsbad on Feb. 27 to become the city’s LEAN (Leading, Efficiency, Accountability and Engagement) Department director. Mayor Rebecca Jones said the new position is ensure the city continues to build and maintain trust through vigilance with spending, communications and a position every government and public agency should employ.
Bender said Ray’s skills and experience, both in the private and public sectors, will be responsible for helping to oversee budgetary issues regarding the General Fund, Capital Improvement Program, Measure Q, acting as a liaison with the public and city officials, along with communicating to the public about the city’s operations and how it spends money.
Bender said it’s especially important since voters approved Measure Q, the one-cent sales tax increase to help eliminate a structural deficit, along with attacking infrastructure problems and constructing a new fire station, to name a few. The tax revenue is estimated to bring in an additional $20 million per year.
“Bringing somebody on that is responsible for Leading, Efficiency, Accountability and Engagement, I think helps us build trust through transparency and maximize every tax dollar,” she added. “It helps us prioritize with the lens of what’s important to the public. We’re only a couple weeks in and I’m loving having a strategy partner asking the questions.”
