As City Manager Joni Pattillo once said, local government represents the truest form of democracy. Acting on behalf of all the residents, local government is directly responsible for ensuring public safety, providing access to quality utility services, and building and maintaining proper infrastructure. The City should never compromise on the level of essential services required to protect the life and limb of Dublin’s residents. Fully funding our police and fire services, enforcing our traffic and parking ordinances, and installing safety improvements when necessary should always remain our top priorities. Public safety improvements can be funded through a combination of sales, property, and gas tax revenues. Dublin City Council’s recent decision to use gas tax revenue to fund the pedestrian safety improvements along Central Parkway and Dublin Boulevard is good example of this funding strategy. Improved quality for utility services can be funded through utility bill pass-through fees. This funding strategy is especially appropriate; given the utility bill-pass-through fees are essentially the time-and-materials the City should charge a utility vendor for the work the City has to do in preparation for a contract negotiation. The building and maintenance of proper infrastructure like parks, roads, and community centers can be funded by development impact/mitigation fees.