b'MayorsMessage Eric Zimmerman EZimmerman@NormandyParkWA.govYour City at Work. For YouT he theme of our Spring issue draws inspiration from a famous Japanese lifestyle philosopher and her instinctive test for making choices: does a choice spark joy? Its a simple method but I like the way it focuses choices into a smaller and more meaningful set which gives more room for the things that cultivate the most happiness.Ive enjoyed the chance to meet and talk with many Normandy Park residents since I got involved with our city government in 2017. There are different ideas and opinions about how our government operates but for this issue Ive decided to share more about how our government does things in Normandy Park. The short version is we too have a method for making decisions, and its based on focusing our choices into the smaller and more meaningful set of things which we believe will cultivate the most happiness for our residents.The councilmembers you elect work for you and are accountable to no-one else, and on your behalf alone we make the laws, spending decisions, and policies that affect the future of our city. Every decision we make has to pass a test of needing to be good for our residents now and in the future, and not just good but the best good. As councilmembers we choose to draw no salary or compensation, continuing to honor decisions made long ago to keep money out of civic service in Normandy Park. We benefit personally only to the extent that our decisions benefit the entire city.The budget we have for our police department, our parks, our streets, and our other services come almost entirely from our citys 12.7% share of the property taxes you paythe other 87.3% of what you pay is used by other districts, the county, and the stateand every conversation we have about how we spend this small share of your money involves a principle that we spend wisely, carefully, and thriftily. Our city government is debt-free because we value you and your finances and are working hard to protect your future in our city.As is the case with your taxes, our city government cant influence everything through our own local laws and the state and county are granted precedence on many policy issues. In every way we can your city government is continually focusing on the most meaningful set of choices we believe will lead to the greatest possible happiness for you, your family, and your neighbors. For your city government, these are the things that spark our joy. I hope you have a wonderful Spring in Normandy Park, and please reach me at ezimmerman@normandyparkwa.gov if there is anything I can help you with (or just to talk).Mayor Eric Zimmerman4 Normandy Park City SceneSpring 2024'