Mayor Art Madrid used his annual audit report—a State of the City—to laud La Mesa accomplishments of 2011, hail 23 Citizens of the Year and slam “ongoing shenanigans and financial impediments we constantly face from Sacramento and Washington.”

While President Barack Obama gave a 70-minute State of the Union address and quoted Reagan, Madrid on Tuesday night delivered a 17-minute talk that quoted Churchill and focused on downtown development.

While not mentioning the controversial PBID—an effort of downtown merchants to enact higher property taxes for physical and service betterment—Madrid said 2012 would be the year in which “long-overdue, major revitalization improvements will take place at our Downtown Village.”

He said the results would transform downtown “into a destination point for countywide patrons of every type and will serve as a magnet and economic engine for new businesses.”

Madrid quoted Winston Churchill as saying: “There is nothing wrong with change if it is in the right direction.” And added:  “I am sure that if Mr. Churchill were alive today, he wouldn’t hesitate to use La Mesa’s change from an agricultural community to an enhanced urban village as a prime example.”

He spotlighted recent city honors, year-to-year improvements in several crime categories, and thanked city staff for their work and residents for voting the 2008 Proposition L sales-tax increase. He listed 23 La Mesans—advisory board chairs, business leaders and service club presidents mainly—as Citizens of the Year.

As of Dec. 31, 2011, Madrid said, the total value of services to the city by volunteers was $12.46 million. He said volunteers gave 24,000 hours to the city.

He contrasted La Mesa’s sunnier financial conditions with those of other cities, which have cut services and even public safety budgets.

“We have a balanced budget, incremental increases to our reserves, and a promising and growing economic base,” Madrid said.

But he noted financial constraints imposed by Sacramento and Washington.

“I will list just two examples of how actions by each of these governmental entities will have a detrimental effect on La Mesa and its residents. The elimination of the Redevelopment Agencies by Sacramento and the continual decrease in [Community Development Block Grant] funding from Washington, D.C.”

Later in the meeting, the council acted to transfer nine properties overseen by the La Mesa Community Redevelopment Agency to the city—in reaction to recent court rulings.

He closed his 2,060-word speech by saying “La Mesa’s future remains bright because we dare to dream big.”

“Our future remains bright because our residents play an important role in every decision we make,” he said. “Our future remains bright because as we enter our Centennial year our expectations are for a better tomorrow.

“Finally, our future remains bright because we refuse to take our eyes off the target which continues to make La Mesa the best community in which to live and raise a family.”

2011 Citizens of the Year:

• Ginger Radenheimer, Community Services Commission chair
• Ellen Arcadi, Aging and Veterans Commission chair
• George Hawkins, Planning Commission chair
• Bill Lorenz, Traffic Commission chair
• Tom Hart, Historic Preservation Commission chair
• Roy Johnson, Design Review Board chair
• Gloria Carrillo, Environmental/Sustainability Commission chair
• Polly Kanavel, Human Relations Commission chair
• Dexter Levy, Building Codes Review Board chair
• Robert Thatcher, Personnel Appeals Board chair
• Jim Wieboldt, Parking Commission chair
• Janelle Lafond, Youth Advisory Commission chair
• Arlene Moore, President of La Mesa Village Merchants Association
• David Merk, Interfaith Council of La Mesa
• Mark Olson, La Mesa Visioning Group
• Peggy Stevers, La Mesa Centennial Committee
• Mike Murphy, President of La Mesa Chamber of Commerce
• Tony Zambelli, President of The Kiwanis Club of La Mesa
• Kathy Blair, President of Soroptimist International of La Mesa
• Mindy Jarvis, President of La Mesa Lions Club
• Tim Miller, President of La Mesa Rotary
• Jon Wright, President of La Mesa Optimist
• Shane Fitzgerald, Volunteers Representative