The budget is concluded.  The final compromise, detailed earlier, is what passed.  If you supported the CIP, et.al., you've likely moved on to the next thing, like making dinner.  If you opposed the plan, you're probably marking the calendar and plotting the political demise of those that supported the CIP and budget plan.  Those in the middle who supported the project nearest you but considered the balance of the CIP a luxury, well you're mad too…:)  It seems as though everyone was equally angry so it was probably the right deal.  The final two cent cut might leave us a bit of a hole to fill next year but we'll have to wait and see.

My hat is off to those citizens who attended some of the budget meetings.  I listen to everyone but the opinion of someone who has bothered to educate themselves on the budget and the process is especially interesting.  I chatted with many of you at length and, even if we didn't agree, I think we understood each other and there's a certain amount of respect developed.  It's also cool to think that some of those folks will get involved either as a volunteer or to run for office!

I'd also like to thank all of those who took the time to email or call.  Especially those who disagreed.  That feedback is important and it does make a difference.  Without feedback that final 2 cent cut doesn't happen.  While email is not quite the level of committee as dragging yourself to a meeting, it really does matter.  Especially now that we don't have a local newspaper.  For whatever it's worth, I think the feedback I received both via email, phone and public meetings was slightly in favor of the budget/cip.  It isn't black and white as some of the feedback supported this or that project but maybe not the whole thing.

Those of you who elected to insult Council members (or other members of the public) either at public hearings or via email, I'm at a loss as to what your strategy was.  I am President of an IT company, maybe you're a stay at home mom, a lawyer or a government employee but we are all just people.  Few people respond positively to insult.  Having a difference of opinion is fine but we should be able to maintain civility.

In any event, what's done is done and we're off to start building and fixing things.  I'm excited as I believe this will be the start of a new development/redevelopment cycle for Manassas.  We have the opportunity to pick a new City Manager soon and D-Mag is working hard on the schools side to get things squared away.  For the Council, I suspect the committees will be very busy this summer and we'll likely start the fall/late summer off with several days of interviews for the Manager position.  I'm also hopeful that the Central Office is torn down July first…:)  In the end, this is a CIP and budget that's all about growth and investment.  It's what Manassas needs.

There appears to be some confusion about where we our in our budgeting process so let me lay it all out.  In a "normal" year the Council would have about 15 meetings to go over the budget.  During these meetings, Council members can place items they have questions about or oppose on the "open items list".  This list also includes all additions to the budget as well as all tax rates and transfer to the schools.  This list is considered in what is usually the penultimate budget meeting called "mark up".  Whatever comes out of mark up is usually presented as the Council's budget at a public hearing.  The public hearing is followed by a budget work session, usually short, to consider public input.  Whatever comes out of that meeting is presented at "First reading" and is voted on.  This followed by "second reading" which is normally a formality.  So, it looks like this:

5-year forecast & guidance to staff (fall of previous year)
City Manager presents his budget
Public hearing (citizen's time too) on Manager's budget
15-ish budget meetings to review budget
Mark Up
Finance Chair normally presents Council budget
Public Hearing on Council budget
budget work session to consider
First reading
Second reading

So, the vote at the budget work session after the public hearing to forward the Council's budget to first reading was 4-2.  However, at the conclusion of this "final" work session, a couple of Council Members asked that members submit ideas for cutting the budget and requested an additional meeting.  This is most unusual (not bad, just unusual) as the work session after the public hearing is always the final budget meeting.

A few days later, the Mayor did call that meeting and from that meeting a compromise was reached that reduced the budget a further 2 cents on the operating side.  The result of that action was a ~$450,000 reduction in school spending (but they're still getting $1.3 million more than last year).  The real reduction to the schools is about ~$200k as they are getting about $250k more than they had budgeted.  The school folks were not pleased with this development but I have confidence that they will make it work.

On the City side, we deferred our economic development department for 6 months and eliminated one position from the City staff.  The deferral will happen without much fuss: we won't be hiring anyone for Economic Development until after we have a new Manager and that ain't happening until September, I would expect.  

The vote on this compromise was 4-2 with Mssrs. Aveni and Lovejoy voting no.  These actions bring the tax increase down to just over 7%.  That's still a lot but better than it was.  This compromise is what will be brought forth on Monday night for First Reading.  

My reflection on all of this is that the city would have been better served if Council would have provided guidance to staff on CIP spending in the five year forecast instead of just putting in $0. We told staff to prepare a CIP plan that fit their best judgement.  Some were surprised by the scope of the plan that emerged.  I'm not sure why.  Of course, I was in the minority on that vote so maybe I should re-examine my dissent….:)  In any event, the only problem that we might have (well, not the only one) is that by cutting the budget a bit we may have created a bit of a hole to be filled next year when we have to pay for the full year of those economic development staffers.  I believe that if the economy continues on its current modest path, we'll be fine.  If it doesn't, we'll have to take action.  That's the way it goes.