Two things – got my foot worked on a couple of weeks ago and between that and an earlier injury it’s been a month since I had a decent bike ride. Did 10 miles yesterday but the foot started bleeding so I had to dial it back a bit. I’m dying to get back on the bike or start spin class again but can’t do that until the foot is at least “sealed” back up…:)
An interesting tidbit from the Council – we have passed a new fund balance policy out of finance for consideration by the full Council. The proposal is to set the official fund balance policy to maintain a balance equal to 13% of our budget. This is different as we currently don’t have a hard and fast policy in writing but 15% has been the target in the past. I’m pretty comfortable moving it down a little as our tax base has diversified and changed a lot since the 15% guidance was set years and years ago. Fund balance policy is always a balance between being prudent and needlessly keeping people’s money tied up in a municipal savings account so more is not always better. You try to find the prudent balance.
Oh, please go vote on Tuesday. I’ll working the polls at lunchtime at Metz Middle.
November 2, 2009 at 2:37 pm
FYI-
“James Regimal, an independent tax policy and revenue
forecasting expert, described Virginia’s budget as a ‘train
wreck about to happen’ in an analysis he wrote recently
for UVA’s Weldon Cooper Center. He noted that while the
great recession of 2007-2009 appears to be ending in a
technical sense, the worst is not over for state and local
governments … even core programs are going to be reduced.
Additional cuts of one to three billion dollars will be
required.”
Roanoke Times
(11-2-2009)
November 5, 2009 at 1:02 pm
For those interested in keeping up with local Manassas events
and issues, my I suggest you add the new weekly
Manassas Observer to your “must read” list. In the 11-6
edition it highlights the Veteran’s Day Parade in Old Town
Manassas this Saturday and the annual Neighborhood
Festival on the 14th.
It also features a piece headlined “Outlook for FY 2011 grim,
budget austere” – that might describe almost every jurisdiction
in Virginia, including Manassas. None of us want to be
known as Doom and Gloom, but we need to share the
facts, as we know them, with our citizens.
November 7, 2009 at 6:35 pm
I held off offering a comment till the Comptroller side of me got a look at the background documents. My first reaction when I read this the other night was it is a great idea….and now having looked at Nov. 9th Agenda, I am in full support of it.
Having both the 5 Year Forcast and then the Policy Statement to look at firmed up my support. I especially liked the criteria as listed in the “Considerations” – different wording than I have used in a past life, but each is clear as to intent.
The 5 Year Forcast is a one of those things I would add to folk’s “must read list” since it clearly shows things are going to be rough till 2013, and then a slow climb back.