Climbing the Mountain

I read a story over a year ago about the process of climbing a mountain.  Mountain climbers typically reach a point in the difficult journey where they get above tree line, the point that is too high for vegetation to grow.  Above this point, there can often be found a scree field, an area of loose rocks frequently found at the base of a steep slope or cliff.  This scree field can be difficult, and dangerous to climb.  During the process of climbing, the hiker can easily become discouraged as a few steps forward can often lead to many more steps back during a sliding of materials.  It can be difficult to see that any progress is made during a very strenuous process.  Not only that, but a miscalculation can lead to a much larger slide of materials, and possibly the death of the hiker.

I can relate our long-term strivings towards financial improvement for the City to climbing a mountain, and I can also relate to the difficulties of the process being similar to crossing the scree field portion of the mountain in particular.  The process is emotionally exhausting, and on a step-by-step basis it is difficult to see any real progress being made.  We are, though, making progress.  Since 2012, we have reduced deficit accounts from a high of $8.5 million to about $2.5 million in 2014.  We have increased our general fund cash balance from $650,000 in 2012 to $1.1 million in 2014.  We are making great progress.  We can celebrate that progress.

But progress does not mean we are at the end of our journey.  Much like climbing a scree field, getting partway through is emotionally and physically wearing.  Everyone has had to cut.  There is a tendency to feel that a break is due, that we can go on cruise control or ease up on our efforts.  Going back to the scree field as an analogy, that easing up can lead to a misstep, which we have to be careful not to allow.  We have made progress, and we do have a little more flexibility, but we also need to keep in mind that it will be another 5 or 6 years before we eliminate our deficits completely and get to our cash balance targets.  If any unknown events occur in the meantime, we are ill-prepared to deal with them.

There has been recent news about the City Council offering a significant financial package to a prospective new industry in town.  Due to the efforts of the past three years, we have the ability to offer an incentive such as this, but it is not without risk.  We need to keep in mind that we are still in difficult times.  A financial package such as this may be worthwhile for the potential positive impact it can have on our community, but we cannot allow it to be part of a process that allows us to get our focus off of the long term goals of financial stability.

Our journey is still underway.  As we continue to work together, we can celebrate our progress.  But we need to as a group keep our eyes on the journey’s goal, and keep our daily steps and attitudes on the correct path to get us there.