NORFOLK
Given its first chance to find fault with the proposed city budget, City Council found little Tuesday.
"It's one of your best budgets," Mayor Paul Fraim told City Manager Regina V.K. Williams during the council's first discussion on the $1.2 billion plan she revealed last week. "If we had to vote on it tomorrow, I could vote for it."
A vote won't come until May 20.
The plan increases spending for public safety, neighborhoods and education and expands hours at libraries and recreation centers. Changes are likely to be minor, as most council members voiced approval.
"You did a good job trying to placate a number of needs around the city," Councilman W. Randy Wright said.
Williams proposed leaving the tax rate at $1.11 per $100 of assessed value. That would result in a real estate tax increase for most residents, because assessments are projected to rise by an average of 3.1 percent for existing homes.
After trimming the tax rate by 16 cents last year, there seems little appetite on the council to cut again. Of the eight council members, only Barclay C. Winn and Wright have endorsed a tax-rate cut.
"I think last year's cut was good for two years," Vice Mayor Anthony L. Burfoot said.
The fervor for tax cuts appears to have cooled with the public as well. Last year, the Norfolk Tea Party 2, a watchdog group that called for lower taxes, garnered 16,000 signatures demanding tax relief and drew 700 homeowners to a town hall meeting. A similar town hall meeting last month drew about 100.
Most council members requested budget increases. Wright called for funding to demolish blighted property in East Ocean View. Fraim called for an increase for Sheriff Robert McCabe, saying the starting pay for deputies, $29,496, needs to be increased.
"The sheriff is having trouble filling all of his open positions," Fraim said.
Winn, Fraim and Councilwoman Theresa Whibley urged more funding for the Norfolk Convention and Visitors Bureau, especially with three new hotels slated for downtown.
Much of the discussion revolved around a City Council proposal to institute football and a corresponding girls' sport in middle schools, which has yet to be endorsed by the School Board.
The sports teams would be a way to reach out to troubled youths who might otherwise join gangs, Fraim said. He asked Williams to add about $150,000 to the budget "to get the infrastructure in place," though he said it's too late to begin the sports this fall.
Harry Minium, (757) 446-2371, harry.minium@pilotonline.com
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mix it up a little
I think the schools should add boys' volleyball and girls' football, just to be different.
Seriously though, the school budget needs to account for the decreasing enrollemnt, and the city budget needs to address the facts that property values, taxes, and loss of jobs are driving families out of their homes, and out of the city.
Meanwhile back at the ranch
"Foreclosure filings in VA climbed almost 18 % in Mar from the total in Feb, while the number of homes repossessed by lenders jumped 31% ....In VA, the volume foreclosure filings soared last month...its ranking of states by the number of households per foreclosure filing, RealtyTrac said VA climbed to No.13 from No.19 in Feb...Lenders took back 1,011 homes in VA during Mar,a 31% increase from 769 repossessions in Feb, RealtyTrac said." cut and paste from article in today Pilot.
Apparently there are parallel universes here. One where home values are rising at a nice clip of 3.1% per year and another where there are vacant foreclosure properties all over the place and falling values. Interesting. Which one is real? In my neighborhood in Norfolk, there are 2 homes currently in forclosure. Neither is financed with an ARM. One is a semi retiree and the other is a military family (pilot). Both have seen payment increases due to out of control assessments and insurance increases. Both are assessed at more than 25% above what the banks have them listed for.
Good observation Laura
""leaving the tax rate at $1.11 per $100 of assessed value. That would result in a real estate tax increase for most residents, because assessments are projected to rise by an average of 3.1 percent for existing homes." How is that?"
Here is how that is. It is actually illegal for assessments to reflect a higher than actual value. Any one with half a brain knows home values are falling like a stone. Especially in the Tidewater. However, it is much easier for our council politically, to continue to let the assessors office be used as a scapegoat for thier tax increases. It is much more politically pallitable than actually voting on a tax increase to satisfy the money drunk sprees they have been on for the past several years. Like a drunk, it is hard to quit and denial lets you continue. So..they can continue to increase taxes, continue to deny that they need to learn to wean themselves of taxpayer cash for pet projects of questionable value, and continue to hold themselves up as the council that "cut the tax rate" in 07. Don't be fooled for one second. Articles like this with Fraim praising our Miss Manager are the "cook praising the stew".
Praise ??
Let me get this straight, the assessments are going up an average of 3.1%
but my cost of living allowance is only 1% ?? I'm not a math professor, but this doesn't seem to add up. If they need to raise the assessments by
3.1% due to the economy then why isn't our increase the same amount?
But you'll never see that 1% as the fees for water, garbage, sewer, etc.
are going up again. Just one more way the city is looking out for you.
WHERE IN THE REAL WORLD...
would top management accept, and actually praise, an initial budget submittal? Didn't just last year Mz Williams originally present a "bare bones, critical needs only" budget that somehow was miraculously trimmed enough to support the $1.11 tax rate? And on top of this the school budget gets a free pass, in the face of declining enrollment no less.
The council is sadly mistaken if they don't think there's popular sentiment for additional tax relief.
Yep. Football is the answer.
We know football players never get in trouble.
Same old song and dance
We're in a big downturns in the real estate market and "leaving the tax rate at $1.11 per $100 of assessed value. That would result in a real estate tax increase for most residents, because assessments are projected to rise by an average of 3.1 percent for existing homes." How is that? And instead of keeping to the essential needs we are going to add more sports to the school system rather than education--there's a priority.