To the editor:

As 2012 gets under way, I want to thank our residents for their engagement and participation in the election process. You have entrusted Gahanna City Council to be effective and efficient stewards of our city. I am proud to lead city council in 2012 and I know that we have a great deal to accomplish.

This year, it will be critical that we evaluate our capital needs that have been held for the last several years due to the changing economy. We will look at our needs and how they stack up against the priorities of the community in order to develop a long-term plan to keep our assets in proper condition.

Along those same lines, we will take a new approach to our annual budget and appropriations processes that we hope will improve communication with the community and allow for direct engagement from the citizens of the city. The process for the budget will begin once the annual budget document is completed in late May. Notification and information will be published in every form of communication available so that you have every opportunity to see what is in the budget and contribute your voice for issues of importance to you.

I have also been working closely with the city administration to continue moving our city on the path measurement focused performance evaluation. We can only determine our successes, failures and progress if we are measuring where we are against where we expect and or want to be.

Accomplishing all of this while continuing with the day to day business of providing the quality services we all expect will require a great deal of effort but, in the end, the city will benefit for generations to come.

Brian Larick
Gahanna City Council