What Do You Say When Your City's in Dire Financial Straits?

New Port Richey city officials are preparing for a scary budget season. Layoffs are likely. Revenue has declined. Storefronts in the city have remained stubbornly vacant.

So what is the rallying cry when it's time for hard choices?

“Meeting The Challenge Together.”

At least that’s what the city council agreed the city’s short-term slogan should be.

The city is gearing up for an “aggressive” public relations campaign to educate folks about its current situation. Projections estimate the city deficit could rise to roughly $15 million in 2017 if officials don’t plug some financial holes.

So the city is planning to try to reach out to residents and others in a campaign that includes:

• Ramping up efforts to reach out to community and special interest groups that work with the city, like the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce and New Port Richey Rotary Club, to explain the situation and get ideas on what the city can do to find relief.
• Getting the word out in the media about what the city’s doing to make itself sustainable.  
• Creating more outreach opportunities like three or four neighborhood meetings where city officials can solicit ideas and communicate with the public.
• Rallying volunteers to help the city.
• Launching a new city website.