Just a quick hit from the Council meeting last night: the 5 year forecast was approved last night. The most immediate effect of that document is the expectation that we’ll raise taxes by a half a cent in the next Fiscal year to pay for new fire trucks. The general fund side is flat.
For all those who get their knickers in a knot over that half cent, I suppose we could lay off fire fighters or cut operations in order to pay for new fire trucks but that seems relatively pointless to me. Our fleet is beyond old and we’re spending over $200k a year on maintenance just at the fire station. If your knickers are still in a knot, grab a shovel and help dig us out by signing up to be a volunteer fire fighter or EMT.
November 15, 2011 at 11:10 am
And you know where you can buy those knickers :). A kind firefighter dropped off free smoke detectors to the shop owners in Old Town, including KKs Temptations, to give out to anyone who needs one. I understand the Manassas City Fire Dept personnel saved the lives of a family of five this weekend.
November 15, 2011 at 6:04 pm
I personally have no problem tossing in the 1/2 cent….when I call cause I have a fire, I want the folks to get here by driving, not pushing it down the road or finding a mule to rig to the front bumper to pull it along with it.
November 15, 2011 at 7:48 pm
Andy,
Come on now. resonable people can justify any tax increase and provide their reasons why they support the tax increase. I’m in favor of increased fire services, but feel that with less(on the school system) and or smarter spending by the Council it is possible to not have a tax increase.
November 15, 2011 at 8:08 pm
Com: First of all, apologies, I’ve just gotten back to the blog and I’m pretty sure I deleted an earlier post. My iphone app for wordpress kinda went haywire. You weren’t the only casualty and I’ve put most of them back.
On this topic, I think we’ll have to agree to disagree – at least on some of it. I want to type out a long, passionate, rebuttal convincing you of the error of your ways but honestly, I’m beat. Long day. Maybe tomorrow…:)
November 15, 2011 at 8:16 pm
Andy, in reviewing the Finance Agenda for tomorrow, I noticed two items that are very troubling to me as a taxpayer. One, HMI spent over $7,000 on a custom desk at the Visitors Center and it it looks like to me this work was done without any prior communication with City Staff; hence City Staff not recommending this agenda item. Then the next item is HMI’s request for $123,000 from the General Fund to cover money they overspent for the Sesqui. I think more oversight on what HMI is spending taxpayer money on. Way too much money was spent on the Sesqui event and I would be curious was to what type of financial return the City actually got from this event.
November 15, 2011 at 8:21 pm
M: There’s actually an excellent report on the 150th that I got today. I’ll post it tomorrow if I get a chance. Thanks for the questions!
November 16, 2011 at 7:52 am
Andy,
That’s what I thought, but reposted again. My taxes have gone up every year. So, ya, I’m not exactly a fan of increased taxes. Take the money out of the school budget and put it in the fire department. There, y’all do not need to raise taxes.
November 16, 2011 at 12:27 pm
Considering the 5-year Forecast and City Utlitlities: There is a new short (11 pages) report “Replacing the Nation’s Deteriorating Water Infrastructure While Maintaining Affordable Water Rates” (url below). It is out of the AARP Public Policy Institute, and although it addresses nationwide, when reading it can be compared to us.
Of course, it doesn’t address such issues as the mandates on the Bay and also issues around stormwater management, but still good reading!
http://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/research/public_policy_institute/cons_prot/2011/insight56.pdf
November 18, 2011 at 9:33 am
http://hamptonroads.com/2011/11/budget-forecast-pain-everywhere
“In the past few years, lawmakers filled their budget hole using tricks,
including shifting the cost of state mandates to local
governments.”
November 20, 2011 at 11:59 pm
Andy, got a posting somewhere for the economic report about the Civil War days? Thanks.
November 21, 2011 at 3:12 pm
Football playoff game: OHS at Hylton 7:30 tonight.
Go Eagles!!
November 21, 2011 at 3:48 pm
If letter, e-mails and phone calls are an indication, and they
most often are, we should have a crowd for Public Hearings
tonight at 7:30 on plans for:
– The Van Metre property on Center St. in Old Town.
– The fields behind the former Marsteller Junior High
near Manassas Baptist Church and Prince William Hospital
(More information is on the Manassas City website)
November 22, 2011 at 12:40 am
Andy, skip my asking for the Econmic Impact Report – I found it. Was quite please to see it was on City Page down in the News feed.
November 24, 2011 at 1:36 am
I read this somewhere:
“Property Taxes are out of control! When assessments go up 30%, the budget shouldn’t go up the same amount. As your councilman, I will work to begin the budget process in a way that might seem new: the republican way. We will start with a 0% increase in budget outlays and work from there. The actual budget amount might go up or down but 50% in 4 years is crazy.”
(can anyone figure out who said this?)
http://www.harrover.com/issues.html
Now I hear say:
“Just a quick hit from the Council meeting last night: the 5 year forecast was approved last night. The most immediate effect of that document is the expectation that we’ll raise taxes by a half a cent in the next Fiscal year to pay for ….. ”
Just exactly where is that “0% increase in budget outlays” now?
…… May is coming ………
November 25, 2011 at 5:07 pm
Hey Cro Jo, you left off “fire trucks”…just bein’ helpful.