Warning from Healdsburg's new mayor

<p>Healdsburg’s new mayor believes 2010 could be the year citizens feel the effect of budget woes.</p><p>“For the last year, I’ve been telling my fellow council members 2010 will be more challenging than 2009,” said Jim Wood, who was unanimously selected to serve as mayor for the coming year.</p><p>He replaces outgoing mayor Eric Ziedrich.</p><p>Tom Chambers was selected vice mayor by his colleagues.</p><p>With a projected $20 billion deficit in California’s budget and the prospect of the state taking more money from cities, Wood said the financial situation is as tenuous as ever.</p><p>Like other cities, Healdsburg has seen declining tax revenues the past couple years.</p><p>“The economy, being what it is, is posing problems for us,” he said in a brief interview. So far, he said the city has been able to stave off noticeable budget cuts, as tax revenues have fallen. Healdsburg has been able to draw on reserves to balance the budget.</p><p>“We’ve been really fortunate compared to other cities,” he said.</p><p>But the coming year could be different.</p><p>“The citizens of Healdsburg will notice the city isn’t able to do things,” although he said it is too soon to say what form the limitations could take. He said he will attempt to do his best to preserve services.</p><p>As if to underscore the dire financial picture, the council was told late Monday that budget projections for the current fiscal year indicate combined sales and property taxes are $640,000 less than what was projected in July.</p><p>Wood, 49, served on the Planning Commission for four years before he was elected to the City Council in 2006.</p><p>A dentist, he has had a practice in Cloverdale since 1987.</p><p>As mayor, he noted his duties will be to preside over council meetings and help shape the agendas, but he has “no more power than any other council member.”</p><p>Wood said working in a different city could pose a challenge when it comes to fulfilling typical mayoral duties.</p><p>“It’s not as easy for me to pop down for a ribbon-cutting. It becomes a two-hour adventure,” he said.</p><p>You can reach Staff Writer Clark Mason at 521-5214 or clark.mason@pressdemocrat.com.</p>