Budget for Website - Flipbook - Page 18
programs. These realities require careful financial management and constant monitoring to
maintain balance. Our goal is to preserve service levels while responsibly navigating these
external pressures, ensuring that today’s decisions do not compromise tomorrow’s stability.
Partnerships play a critical role in extending our capabilities. Collaborations with organizations
like Huron Valley Ambulance and the City of Northville allow us to deliver high-quality services
in a cost-effective manner. These relationships demonstrate that we do not have to do everything
alone to do it well. At the same time, our strong connections with community groups such as
Rotary, Kiwanis, and the Lions Club enhance quality of life through programs, events, and direct
investment in the community. These partnerships are a force multiplier, helping us achieve more
than our size might suggest.
Our employees remain our greatest asset. In today’s competitive labor market, attracting and
retaining talented staff requires more than just compensation—it requires a positive culture,
opportunities for growth, and a sense of purpose. Plymouth offers all three. We invest in training
and development, promote from within whenever possible, and foster a collegial, team-oriented
environment that makes this a desirable place to work. This investment not only strengthens our
organization today but also prepares us for the challenges of tomorrow.
At the end of the day, our success can sometimes create its own challenge. Because we
consistently deliver high-quality services with limited resources, it can be difficult to fully see the
strain placed on the organization. When priorities shift or projects are delayed, it is not due to a
lack of effort—it is the reality of balancing a wide range of responsibilities with a lean team. Even
so, we remain committed to delivering results that matter to our residents.
The bottom line: we may be lean, but we are resilient, adaptable, and built to perform.
I would like to commend Finance Director Priya King and Deputy Abby Gazvoda, who are our
team leaders in developing this budget. Priya, Abby and their staff have picked up where the
former Finance Director left off and learned quickly to produce the budget. It was an engaging
approach with all departments to understand their needs for their respective operations and seek
to balance our financial position with Capital requests. We anticipate that engagement will
continue with the City Commission and look forward to working together toward its adoption.
Our budget is more than just a small group of numbers, we have an extensive amount of detail
within the document in order to be fully transparent.
Our Finance Director Priya King, along with Deputy Finance Director Abby Gazvoda and our
Department Heads and myself, will attempt to answer any questions the Commission may have
related to the budget document. We have available dates, if needed, for multiple Budget Study
Sessions, but it is entirely up to the City Commission to determine how many sessions we will
need. We strongly recommend that Commissioners come in and talk with the team and/or myself
to answer any questions that they may have related to the document and how we put this together.
As always, the budget should be treated as a fluid document that will change as the year
progresses. There are multitudes of internal and external factors which will affect the budget
during the year. We must be constantly aware of the stresses that weather, government
regulations, emergencies, elections, inflation, changes in procedures or equipment, and changes
in staffing will have on the budget.
City of Plymouth 2026/27 Budget
14
