A central theme from Junction City officials during a State of the City address at the C. L. Hoover Opera House was that everyone in the community is in it together when it comes to dealing with the city’s massive debt and infrastructure problems.

Examples…there was a 35 percent increase in population in the City over a period of a few years years and while the City budgeted $1.1 million for street improvements in 2014 that number needs to average more than $4 million per year.

City Manager Gerald Smith is proposing steps ranging from the hiring and retention of quality management personnel to business and multi-family preservation programs to generate revenue.

Commissioner Pat Landes explained in recent years the City met their first goal of making the debt payment.  “The idea that we’re sitting on a bunch of money in our budget every year that we can just take care of the streets,  take care of the water and wastewater, it’s not there…plain and simple it’s just not there.”

Landes noted just like maintaining a home the City also has to have it’s needs handled.  One example cited was the 175 miles in streets.

Landes told the audience at the State of the City address at the C. L. Hoover Opera House the community will have to develop solutions to meet the challenges. He said will not be easy or fun.