The Pioneer Post Volume II Issue 1 Marriott-Slaterville City Newsletter January 2000 State of the City Address address given by Mayor Keith H. Butler on January 20, 2000, before the city council and community Over six months have passed since July 1, 1999, when Marriott and Slaterville, two of Utah's oldest communities, incorporated together. Because of the preparation we received through our prior townships, through continual training, and through the extraordinary service of innumerable volunteers, our new community has a bright future. On June 24, 1999, just prior to the incorporation I issued a memorandum to all city officers. In this memo I gave my "3 -part Commitment Statement" to the community. As you know I am from the "old school" where we followed the advice: 1. "If you don't need it don't buy it," "Keep government small and simple," and 3. "If we have laws and ordinances, enforce them." My commitment to these three (3) goals has not changed. All executive officers are charged to follow these goals, and I will continue to encourage the city council to follow these goals. Our community has a long and rich history. Marriott, originally called "Marriottsville," was named after the early pioneer John Marriott who became the area's first permanent settler in the early 1850s.1 Slaterville settled in the 1850s, and named after Richard Slater in honor of his service as a member of the Mormon Battalion.2 We must continue to honor our ancestors who preceded us in building this community. As they were so are we - Pioneers in building a better future for the next generation of Marriott-Slaterville citizens. Let me first say that our finances have been well managed. Our loan from Weber County has been paid timely and completely. Marriott-Slaterville has been short on funds since inception because of a lag time in receiving our sales and use tax disbursements from the state. This is primarily because of mistakes made by the State Tax Commission and UDOT which caused a temporary shortage of funds. Fortunately, all errors are essentially corrected. Our Treasurer, Rich Adam, has been 1 Ogden City and Weber County - A Historical Sketch. Transcribed from the original manuscript of Joseph Stanford, (1880), by John M. Belnap and Associates, (1968, pg. 26). 2 Inventory of the County Archives. Number 29 Weber County (Ogden) Preliminary Edition. The Utah Historical Records Survey invaluable to the city and to the taxpayer. Together we work diligently to see that municipal funds are spent wisely - "no waste" is our motto. The city staff, department heads, boards, commissions, and our unpaid volunteers and the city council members have also been amazing. They improvise to make each cent stretch as tar as possible. Now that the city is beginning to stabilize financially, we know that we will have the revenue we need to effectively operate our city, and we can better plan the 2000-2001 budget to accommodate our future demands. It appears for that the foreseeable future that there will be no need of a property tax increase as was promised by myself and the City Council. Keeping government simple has been achieved in many ways. First, "COMMUNICATION," which is my favorite word, is necessary to a stable government In response to citizens requests desiring to keep abreast of the city's affairs, the city staff prepared a municipal newsletter called "The Pioneer Post" to be circulated each month to Marriott-Slaterville residents. Next, the ordinances we have passed have been relatively few compared to other cities, but keep in mind they are effective ordinances being up-to-date, well-planned, and continually upgraded. We have become a model for other cities to follow. Finally, can you tell me of another city you know of that is completely operated by one (1) full-time Administrator, one (1) part-time Recorder, and the remainder being volunteers? We are. As we continue to operate, our staff may grow though we will continue to do the most with the least number of employees. Enforcement of ordinances is sometimes a difficult task. Our building inspector and Recorder have promptly responded to zoning complaints and many other building violations. We will enforce our ordinances, and be no respecter of persons in doing so. I thank the Weber County Sheriff, Brad Slater, and his deputies serving our community night and day. Our Police Chief, Sgt Kevin Burns, has increased the effectiveness of police protection in Marriott-Slaterville immensely. Response time has been reduced to record low levels, and Marriott-Slaterville residents can sleep better at night knowing the quality of the deputies in our precinct. I report to the City Council and the community the following general information and statistics.