I understand from Janice and Keith that we have a sold-out event here today. So in order to help RECA out a bit, I've agreed to be the keynote speaker at every monthly luncheon from now on. We all know that the reason I'm such a popular keynote speaker is my intense personal charisma and my dynamic and inspiring oratory. So in case you find yourself overcome with emotion during my speech, please, don't be embarrassed to weep openly.
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I've spent practically my whole life in this city. I grew up just about a mile from here. Where we're enjoying our lunch today was - a hill. I went to Austin public schools, and graduated from UT. When I retired as a pilot, I became a full-time volunteer in Austin, for five years. Then I served on the City Council for four years before I became mayor.
After all of that, there's at least one thing I know about Austin. And that is that we do believe in the power a creative mind and a determined spirit to solve any problem. Austin is full of smart, driven people who make things happen. And lots of times, we even do it for the right reasons. That's exactly who's in this room around you right now. Look around. You're all a bunch of over-achievers.
So, if just for that reason - because we believe in Austin that we can solve any problem; because we believe that we can transform any challenge into opportunity - even during this monumentally difficult moment in history, the state of our city is strong.
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Folks, balancing your City budget this year was not a pleasant exercise for anyone. The bottom line was a $30 million funding gap in a $600 million budget. It's testament to the City management team, to the members of your City Council, but most of all to the 10,000 employees of City government, that we closed that gap and still maintained all core City services at their current levels.
Most significantly, there were no cuts to police, fire, or EMS services - which I promised there would not be. While our budget did include an increase in our tax rate and some utility charges, we still have the lowest municipal tax rate of any large Texas city. So - to beat a dead horse - we're proud of what we were able to achieve with this year's City budget. We can only hope to do as well next year.
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Finally, everything happening with web-based services, mobile computing, and social networking also holds great promise for our city. This is where I believe we have a unique opportunity to marry our tech-savvy culture, and labor force, with the next generation of growth. In particular, I'd very much like to see some of the largest social media companies, like Twitter, establish a significant presence in Austin in the near future. Maybe Mike Martinez could get an internship there.
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Austin is a diverse city. Much more so than it has ever been. We should be proud of that. We should celebrate it. And, we should be sure that it's always reflected in our decision-making, and our actions, as a community.
Austin is also a caring and compassionate city. A lot of people in this town wear their hearts on sleeves. That's a big part of what makes Austin special - and a big part of what we need to preserve to keep Austin special. The hungry, the poor, the homeless, the sick, the disadvantaged: They have a friend in a true Austinite. As Austin grows and changes, I hope and trust that we'll never lose what my friend Rev. Joseph Parker calls our "moral center" - our drive to do good, to be fair, and to be giving.
Let me end where I began. Friends, the state of our city is strong, even at this incredibly challenging time, because here in Austin, we believe in our own ability to make things better. We know we can create solutions to problems. In an uncertain world, these are our secret weapons: Our ingenuity and our conviction. Our creative minds, and our determined spirits.
If you want to play a role in shaping our best possible future - in protecting our quality of life for the next generation - then I encourage you to leave here today and go do what you do best: Create. Solve a problem. Do a deal. Be bold. Make a difference for somebody.
I can't stand up here today and tell you that the worst of what's happening around us is over. The truth is, it may not be. But, after a lifetime in this city, I know the fiber of Austin, Texas. I know the character of the people who live here. And I can stand up here today and tell you - with great confidence - that for us, the best is yet to come. Thank you very much.
