Well, we have completed the “Mark Up” part of the budget. Mark up is pretty much the end of the road although the budget may be modified if citizens show up and demand changes at the public hearings. At this point, the tax rate looks like it’ll be around 85 cents which is about 4 cents higher than this year. Anything under 86 cents represents a tax cut to your average homeowner. It isn’t a ton of cash but it’s something. This marked up budget (I don’t guess it’s an official proposed budget yet) is pretty strong on public safety with 3 police, Manassas ICE training and a new ambulance included in the budget. It also minimizes the amount of fund balance (rainy day fund) spending that is included. I didn’t get another zoning inspector but I wasn’t willing to push that too hard and have a larger impact on the rainy day fund or raise taxes more.
For the museum fans out there, 2 of the 3 museum positions slated to be eliminated were preserved. This is due, in part, to the Museum Associates going out and raising funds to help offset the salaries. This is good but the Museum does have a tough road ahead. If you support the Museum, go over there and volunteer or participate in their events.
Overall, I’m pretty comfortable with this budget. The increase was a bit more than I wanted but if you want to hire more police officers and pay for ICE training you have to pay for it somehow. Cutting a bunch of positions just isn’t a good option as the City doesn’t have a very deep bench. If we cut a position, something isn’t going to happen. I’d also like to thank the Mayor, staff and other council members who have been through this before. The staff was very helpful, even when I asked dumb questions and the more experienced council members also helped make this easier.
Overall, I’d guess that I spent about 40 odd hours on the budget in the last 3 weeks. Budget time is a crusher and not to be taken lightly. If you’re thinking about running for office, don’t forget to cancel whatever you thought you were doing in March.
March 30, 2007 at 11:35 am
Two footnotes:
1) The budget – while firmed up last night – is still a work in progress.
-On April 9th at 6:45PM will be a presentation of the Council
Proposed Budget.
-On April 16th at 7:30PM will be a public hearing on the Budget.
-On April 18th will be a work session on comments from the
public hearing (2nd fl. conference room).
-On April23rd is the first reading of the proposed budget.
-On April 25th is 2nd reading of the budget
And THEN Manassas will have a finalized budget.
2) The proposed rate from last night will result in a tax rate increase,
but the average tax bill for residential property will go down
by a small amount.
March 30, 2007 at 5:38 pm
I am piggybacking on Andy’s website mainly because I don’t know how to build one of my own.
This pending City Council budget, at 85.5 cents and no levy, is a realistic “business as usual” budget. It has several desirable and some undesirable characteristics:
1. It is balanced (which is required so that’s not much of an accomplishment).
2. It does not significantly tap into the reserve fund. This fund is maintained for unforeseen emergencies and to spread out the impact of a possible departure of a commercial taxpayer.
3. It provides reasonable and restrained 4% salary growth for city employees
4. It provides sufficient funds to the school board that they, if they choose, can also minimize their tapping into their ever-shrinking reserve fund.
5. It does not increase taxes for the average residential taxpayer.
6. By dropping the levy, it avoids a counter-productive confrontation about revenue sharing philosophy.
7. It does strengthen the police force, both in numbers and through a phased ICE training for several officers most likely to benefit from same.
Now the other side of the story:
1. It does increase taxes on commercial taxpayers by an average of around 15%. Yes fifteen. This also will presumably affects apartment rents because they are commercial properties.
2. It does not include any “heavy duty” budget cutting which would require curtailment of services.
Overall, I am personally satisfied with the results. I don’t think Council has a mandate to degrade or eliminate services provided to our citizens in order to save money. I believe we appreciate and enjoy the city as it is, and are willing to pay the taxes necessary to maintain it.
March 30, 2007 at 6:03 pm
“Sad Story of Manassas Financing Told –
Those Who Have Tears, Prepare to Shed Them Now”
MANASSAS JOURNAL (April 27, 1950)
April 17, 2007 at 9:55 pm
JLWAY – Your analysis is right on… Rational and pragmatic… devoid of the ideological warfare into which one can be easily provoked. Thank you for mentioning the potential benefits of investment while also objectively recognizing the cost. That is the basis of rational analysis. If we believe that the members of our City Council serve with the best interests of the citizens at heart, then the starting point must be that no one wants to waist money. So often, any government expenditure is attacked as wasteful, without any real thought or analysis being directed toward the potential benefit. If you told most people that by investing $1,000 today they would have a 50% chance of winning $10,000 tomorrow, they would likely explore the probability and take the chance. On the other hand, many people fail to understand the connection between what they financially invest in our community (taxes, for most people, unless they contribute very financially to community causes) and their own quality of life and the quality of our culture. Elected officials in Manassas, of late, have followed their most primitive instincts in assuming a defensive crouch against the perceived threats to our community. Unfortunately, the approach has been to raise rhetoric to a loud and frenzied pitch, while practically shrinking from the real challenges. As an example… the answer to the enormous rise in cost of English as a Second Language instruction… yell loudly, but provide inadequate funding to the schools to compensate. The practical effect has been to to starve all students of resources, with the worst impact ultimately falling upon native English-speaking students. We all have lots to be angry about, but what do we want to protect, and what are we willing to do and to spenfd to protect it? Ultimately, are we willing to put our wallets on the line for the values we espouse? Manassas is in decline. Just look at the condition of the housing stock, which in most instances, is the direct forward indicator of economic health in any community (unless there is an overwhelming overcompensating rise in commercial assessments). As I’ve said many times on this site… the only way Manassas will flourish is if the proportion of taxes tilts much more heavily to capital intensive industry that will generate revenue disproportionately higher than the cost of government services (residential homeowners are actually highly subsidized relative to the public costs they generate for local government). And the plain simple fact is that we are competing on a World stage, where the old-time country idea of good living just doesn’t cut it. It doesn’t help that Manassas must overcome a worldwide reputation as redneck hellhole (the home of ‘bearded, beflanneled buffoons’, as a quick Google search defines Manassas). If you consider Manassas your home, and not just the cheapest place to live within 30 miles of DC, than you have to stand up for the community and not give in to the selfish poor and the selfish remainder (I would say the selfish rich, but Manassas has precious few rich) who screech like helpless crippled baby birds, yawning their maws to demand the most, but offering little potential contribution. It is time, finally, for the leaders of Manassas to ignore the squeaky wheel and begin to focus on the health of the wagon.