As an outsider looking in, one would expect LSL CPAs spending a lot of time staring at computer monitors. We are accountants after all. But did you know we are also very active in a number of community organizations?
Knowing what is happening in our community is important to us. We need to be aware of what is happening in our City to identify changes in the business environment and to know the influential people that are making these changes happen.
We recently attended the Santa Ana State of the City address at the Bowers Museum. Santa Ana’s mayor, Miguel Pulido, updated us on the changes happening in our community. Here are some of the highlights Mr. Pulido addressed to the community:
- The unemployment rate is at 4.7 percent (down from 5.8 percent in 2014). It was 14.7 percent in October of 2009.
- There are 160,000 active jobs in the City (up from 158,000 last year) and 28,000 business licenses (up from 27,000 last year).
- The City has a budget surplus of $10 million with a reserve of $45 million. In 2011, the general reserve had reached a low of $3 million.
In addition, the mayor talked about the upcoming Orange County Streetcar project that will connect the Santa Ana train station to a new transit hub in Garden Grove, with stops along downtown Santa Ana. The Orange County Streetcar will allow the community to take the train as far as South County or Riverside. The project development phase is expected to begin Winter 2015. This initiative will bring greater mobility to the heart of Orange County.
It’s exciting to hear and see all that is new with Santa Ana. If you have any questions about the direction of the City or how these changes will impact your business please call LSL CPAs at 714.569.1000.
By Jeff L. Boxx
