Council had a meeting tonight and went over some financial scenarios so that we might offer the staff some guidance on the next budget. We discussed many variations but finally agreed on a guidance document that holds average tax bills flat on the general fund side next year. On the fire levy side it funds the “fire truck fund” at 1 cent. That’s an increase of half a cent over last year but a quarter of a cent less than was requested by the Fire and Rescue committee. We’ll take a formal vote on this guidance at a Council meeting in a couple of weeks.
This same guidance document indicates that, absent significant budget cuts in out years, tax bills will go up somewhat to pay for a bond issue in 2014-15 and the fire fighters and police officers we’ve hired on the Federal grant. I fully expect the Council to take a good hard look at that in the years to come and to make adjustments as time goes by. Remember, this is the same Council that has reduced the City budget by about 13% over the past several years. We ain’t doing anything all that crazy. However, I would also posit that I (one man’s opinion here) am not prepared to reduce the number of Police Officers or Fire Fighters in our City. The police officers we added last year (opposed by some) brings our Police Department back to 2007 staffing levels. That works for me. I’m not willing to sacrifice safety for a couple of bucks. That’s not what our City has historically done nor what we should do in the future.
Significantly, this guidance maintains our fund balance (rainy day fund) at the Council’s dictated policy level of 13%. It also does not pay for operations out of one-time money. This budget also funds several new unfunded mandates from the General Assembly.
I know this is short on detail but we’ll vote on the final document in a couple of weeks. The detail will follow as part of the budget process. I’m comfortable with this guidance. We still have to go through the budget process and I am positive that there will be cuts and/or a re-allocation of funds as a part of that process. There always is.
October 13, 2011 at 4:34 am
Please let us know what the new unfunded mandates are.
October 13, 2011 at 5:34 am
Did the budget discussion include a school discussion?
October 13, 2011 at 6:42 am
Our tax bill has gone up the last few years, and I’ll have to check the records, but I do not believe in eight years that our taxes have gone down. I understand we need police, and fire, but just a few years ago, we did not have a levy, now that seems to go up every year. I’m not the brightest bulb in the box, but why was there a need to have an additional tax? Why not just have one tax to keep it simple?
Are the schools getting better? Nope. Are we safer? Nope. Do we have better roads? Nope So, where exactly are we seeing a return on the taxes we pay? I do not envy the job you have Andy, but at the same time, I do hope you and the rest of the Council understand that many of us do not understand why it seems are taxes go up every year and we have seen a decrease in the quality of life here in the City.
October 13, 2011 at 7:26 am
From closely watching the council, it’s clear to me that they have done a credible job of keeping the budget down. As a whole they are a prudent, conservative bunch (there is an arument for the whole being greater than the some of its parts). My strong sense is that they spend the majority of time trying to keep rates down and agonize when they have to do otherwise. Yes, some quality of life issues have suffered, but I believe certain things (safety, and even schools) would be worse had certain expenditures not been made.
And to be sure, if the school situation does not markedly improve, our tax base could suffer a further blow, which in turn will have a tax rate impact. I’m not saying at this point that more money is immediately needed to cure the school problem but I recognize it as a possibility if a credible study (a non-political technical study) points in that direction, in which event I would support that increase.
In the meantime, I like the current conservative approach to the budget, though I don’t oppose those who are picking around the edges in attempt to see if there is more to trim. Constant vigilence is always appropriate.
October 13, 2011 at 7:47 am
Rich asked:
“Did the budget discussion include a school discussion?”
I wasn’t there but it must have, they wouldn’t have a budget discussion and not talk about more than half the budget. Would they?
October 13, 2011 at 8:19 am
Yes, of course, that’s right. I was really intending to refer to a discussion that included specific reference to the particular emergency re unaccredation that we are currently facing.
October 13, 2011 at 8:42 am
@Rich
“Provisional Accreditation” is the status and though I normally would let blog etiquette rule, i.e., loose terminology slide, since you are ready to call all hands on deck, the fire department, and decry the blackest eye Manassas has ever had, I think precise terms in this case will be important if the city is going to deal with it effectively and efficiently.
October 13, 2011 at 12:12 pm
The Police Department: keep in mind when talking Staffing Levels, there is CALEA. Our little City is an award winner in the last recertification. We are back in the range for maintaining certification with being at 2007 levels….that said, the ideal Staffing is 100 Officers.
@AndyH…may I make a recommendation regarding the Forecast? When it comes time for the Council to take up the Forecast for approval, and it is placed as an action item on the Agenda, a meeting before that have it presented allowing time for Citizens to speak to it. Aside from good governance, this is one document that needs to be announced, advertised, alerted, etc. etc. etc. to the Citizens so we know what’s coming.
October 13, 2011 at 1:06 pm
The fire levy has gone up in the recent past because we need firefighters and medics. I suppose if there was a huge influx of volunteers we wouldn’t need as many but that hasn’t been the trend.
The fire levy goes up in this budget by half a cent to help fund fire trucks. The *average* age of our fire trucks is 18 years. The ladder truck will cost a million dollars to replace and we’re currently spending over $100k a year on maintenance. On just that truck. It’s time to get serious about it. The Council awaits a final proposal from the Fire & Rescue committee on the fleet plan.
The reason we have a seperate levy is that it’s cheaper for our taxpayers. All general fund revenue are split with the schools. They get ~58%. Unless otherwise designated, property taxes go into the general fund. If we paid for fire and rescue out of the general fund, we would have to push the taxes up by twice what we need as the schools get half.
October 13, 2011 at 4:10 pm
Doug: Thank you for pointing out my lack of precise terminology. Precise terminology aside, an emergency is an emergency is an emergency. Now is not the time to get distracted and dither. Those who need to fix the problem presumately know the correct terms and will not be confused by my error. I’m just a citizen calling for action, and I assume that you agree 100% with that call.
October 13, 2011 at 7:42 pm
Andy,
Thanks for the explaination. How can we get rid of the school board agreement, in order to lessen the burden on us tax payers?
October 13, 2011 at 7:56 pm
Maureen, you asked about the Unfunded Mandates and asked Andy for a list. It is going to be a long, long one.
In the meantime, I recommend viewing a presentation from the recent Virginia Municipal League (which our City is a member of) Conference called: The State Budget “The Train Derailed”.
As you go down and look at all the cuts and what is being pushed to local government, you will see where the Mandates are laying and forthcoming. Keep in mind too as you and others look through it, some on the list like Sheriff and Jail are part of our 1976 Shared Services Agreement with PWC….we pay for it to include a portion of any construction. Enjoy the slides!
http://www.vml.org/CONF/10ConfHampton/10Handouts/9_state_budget_regimbal.ppt#257,1,Slide 1
October 13, 2011 at 8:51 pm
“Precise terminology aside, an emergency is an emergency is an emergency.”
Hello 911 I have an emergency to report. 🙂