They have all devoted countless hours of their time to improve the quality of life in Alexandria, and to ensure the City's long-term financial viability. The other essential members of the City team are the City employees, who work hard every day to provide high quality services to the citizens of Alexandria. There is no better workforce anywhere in the country. As this annual report points out, the City has a strong economy, and unemployment is at an all-time low. We continue to expand job opportunities by attracting new businesses and government agencies.
Tourism is very strong, and our hotels and restaurants are generally doing a booming business.
The quality of life here is excellent, and the City is a safer place to live, work, and visit as serious crime reached a 32-year low point this year. But as this annual report also points out, the City must deal with important fiscal and transportation issues in the future. Current revenue and expenditure projections indicate that the City's future expenditure growth may outpace future revenue growth if the City does not seek to diversify its revenue base, and if it does not continue its efforts to live within its means and to control increases in expenditures. Strong fiscal management is a hallmark of the Alexandria City government, and the City will need to continue to make difficult choices in the years ahead that will enable it to balance its expenditures within its available revenues, while still providing adequate funding for the public schools and for high quality public services. As I reflect on the progress this City has made over the last several decades in so many different areas, I am particularly proud of our progress as a diverse and caring community.