Inquiring minds want to know...

How's the City doing financially?

Brisbane is in a good spot, thanks to the decisions made by previous Brisbane Council and staff. For one, wise investment practices prevented Brisbane from losing any funds after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, which unfortunately, didn't pan out to be the case for other cities. Also, previous and current Councils made it a priority to set aside and maintain a reserve of $10,000,000 for economic and natural emergencies. Part of this reserve was accumulated by the City making the decision to continue setting aside retirement funds for their employees (foreseeing the unavoidable rise in pension costs), rather than taking the stance of other cities who stopped doing so. They instead followed the State, who perceived the State pension fund to be performing well in the stock market that setting aside funds would be unnecessary. You can say that Brisbane went against the grain here, but it was that act along with other similar, prudent choices, that enabled the City to be in the financial standing it is today...thankfully able to continue providing core services to the community it serves.

In addition to continuing to provide core services such as public safety (police, fire, water and sewer services) and recreation programs most important to our citizens, the City will be offering a brand-new service to better serve the community, and which comes at no additional cost to the City! Beginning next Weds., Aug. 12th, the City will begin televising the Open Space & Ecology meetings on Ch. 27. The cameras will also be rolling during the Parks, Beaches and Recreation meetings, which will begin airing on Ch. 27 Weds. Sept. 2nd. Check out Ch. 27's programming schedule for broadcast times.

What's happening with that 'cash for clunkers' program?

Well just a month after President Obama signed in this $1 bil. bill, meant to bring the U.S. auto industry back to its pre-recession levels, and it running less than 1 week, the program has received approval from both the House and Senate for another $2 bil. after having depleted all of its original funding. This is expected to keep the temporary program running through Labor Day and spur about 500,000 new auto sales on top of the 250,000 already completed. So. If you've been contemplating that new hybrid or other high fuel efficiency vehicle, now may be a good time to go for it. Owners of old cars that cannot achieve above 18mpg are eligible for a $3,500 voucher towards the purchase of a new car that is at least 4mpg more efficient. Up to $4,500 is available to those who improve their gas mileage figures by 10mpg or more. Sounds good, doesn't it? Check out the official cars.gov website to learn more!

Who's playing tonight at Concerts in the Park?

Livewire gave a stellar performance last week, and the Houserockers are sure to follow suit tonight! So bring your dinner and a lawn chair and enjoy this free concert with great friends and family! It's sure to be a rockin' 'ol time. Check out the line-up of upcoming performances by clicking here. All concerts are FREE so be sure to come out on Fridays @ 6:oopm to the Community Park to find yourself in the hottest summer spot in Brisbane!