NORFOLK
For as long as anyone at City Hall can remember, Norfolk's budget has been compiled behind closed doors, away from the public and most elected officials.
Not until the city manager presents the spending plan weeks before the City Council adopts it do residents get a peek at how their tax dollars might be spent and a chance to provide feedback.
City Manager Regina V.K. Williams wants to end that practice and open the process sooner to the public.
Williams said she plans to create a budget advisory group to examine how the city raises and spends its money. The committee will meet between July and December, and then report its findings to the council.
She will then use the group's report to craft the city's budget. Williams hopes to kick off her plan in time for the budget that will go into effect on July 1, 2009.
"Nothing is off the table," she said. "I want them to look into how we do our budget, to look at our revenues and our expenses."
In addition, Williams wants the council to begin seeking input from the public next fall, before the budget process begins. She's not sure whether that will be through focus groups or public hearings.
"The timing is right for this to happen," she said.
Since 2006, the Norfolk Tea Party 2, a watchdog group that has pressured the council to lower taxes, has complained about the budget process. Its members presented petitions with 16,000 signatures calling for lower taxes in 2006 and asked for a budget study group, much like the one Williams will appoint.
Councilman W. Randy Wright said Williams' proposal is a "good-faith gesture to the Tea Party."
Williams, however, said she's talked about creating a budget advisory group since 2000, shortly after she became city manager. Then, her idea was nixed by the council.
"The whole notion of community involvement is something I have long embraced," she said.
Regardless, Tea Party head Brian Smith said he's glad to hear about Williams' plan to form a study group.
The Norfolk budget committee will be similar to a group that met in Virginia Beach last year and produced an inch-thick report. It was led by former Beach Councilman Linwood Branch and included Del. Terrie Suit, R-Virginia Beach, and state Sen. Frank Wagner, R-Virginia Beach.
The Beach committee looked at how it could ease the tax burden of homeowners.
Williams said she wants Norfolk's group to focus more on immediate needs.
Even though real estate taxes are rising an average of 3.1 percent for homeowners this year because of increasing assessments, Williams had to cut the budgets of many departments and institute a hiring freeze to balance the books.
A $30 million appropriation to help pay for a $108 million courthouse complex was delayed because it would have put the city over its self-imposed limits on borrowing. If the city goes over its limits, its bond ratings could be downgraded, which would increase the cost of borrowing.
Next year, the city will have to borrow $40 million to keep the courthouse project on schedule and $12.7 million to replace Crossroads Elementary School. With housing prices falling, real estate tax revenues also could decline next year.
"We do not have the growth potential of Virginia Beach because nearly all of our land is developed," Williams said.
"We need all the help we can get to meet those challenges."
Harry Minium, (757) 446-2371, harry.minium@pilotonline.com
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No change!
Don't get too excited with this proposal. Va Beach claims to have an open budget process, yet the commissars do exactly what they want no matter the input.
Here's a clue...
Stop paying off frivolous lawsuits and forget the light rail insanity! The light rail is a real life episode of the Simpson's monorail cartoon debacle and the city attorney needs to defend Norfolk against these insane frivolous suits that are getting paid and rubber stamped by the council.
Seems like a PR ploy. Have
Seems like a PR ploy. Have some "regular joe's" participate in the process, so they can see the difficult decisions that would have to be made. They would be fodder for VPilot interviews and take heat off her.
ouch!
I guess the last 20 comments pulled off the board about this hog wash must have struck a nerve.
City budget solution
I got the solution. The city should do the budget on a public wiki, where any cyber-visitor can feel free to modify as they see fit.
She needs to go
She is not a woman of her word.
WHY??
This is very suspect.What ever the comittee reviews, recommends, etc. will just be ignored by the city council when presented.So, it's a waste of citizen volunteer time to get involved at this late point in time. Since living in Norfolk, I've witnessed just three city managers, Julian Hurst, Jim Oliver and Regina Williams, in comparison to mr. oliver and hurst, Ms. Williams is a liability to Norfolk and it's citizens. I guess the only reason she has't been dismissed is, she always finds the money for each council persons pet ward projects and their ever increasing salaries, all else dosen't matter. Now bring in some citizens, hand picked of course, to 'contribute' to the budget process and relieve the council and city 'manager' from all blame for fiscal mis-management of the city. All fingers of blame will be pointed to the selected committee and the mantra will continue to be; "Waterside is in trouble??, We didn't have a clue",who's to blame for this mis-management??, NOT the council or the mayor or the city manager, The Waterside Committee of course.
Picture this....
Pretend she's your teenager would you trust her with your check book? You're never have money. You're be in the hole by millions. Work will never get done around the home. She always need more money for things so she hold out her hand to you (the tax payer)looking for more money.
What good things has Norfolk done for it's people other than removing parking for those who attend scope, chysler hall and TCC? With new buildings that were to go up, how does that help the citizens? Is it helping to reduce taxes ? The city pour millions into downtown but forget about the neighborhoods with businesses who need a shot in the arm. Sure they do a little to get the community voices off of their back but that's about it. Waterside, Chrysler Hall, Scope, the court buildings and even city hall is out dated. The buildings need to be torn down and re-built to keep up with the Jones. So many plans, so little money and you wonder why it is with a city as big as Norfolk. Norfolk needs to clean house and stop electing the same people that they complain about.
" Even though real estate
"Even though real estate taxes are rising an average of 3.1 percent for homeowners this year because of increasing assessments...
"With housing prices falling, real estate tax revenues also could decline next year."
This just doesn't make sense. The pilot reports two pieces of information attributed by the city that are absolutely opposite in nature and no one notices?? One hand doesn't know what the other is doing...or knows and just gives a knowing wink and nod and turns their collective heads the other way. This is the core of what is wrong with our city governments today: blantantly and knowingly robbing the public of their hard earned maney and then daring us to do anything about it! Our pockets and out families can not take anymore illegal and immoral activities by the city council. The price is too high. Act now before it is too late! GET THEM ALL OUT OF OFFICE NOW!
This naturally invites the question,
Would you buy a used car from Ms. Williams?
I can't believe this woman
I can't believe this woman is still being overpaid by the city of Norfolk after all of her blunders and the favoritism she shows to the black community. A true disgrace!!
MMMM, the saying...
...too many chefs spoil the pot comes to mind...
Pardon my skepticism, but
might this not just be an effort to save her job?
money for nothing
“she's talked about creating a budget advisory group since 2000” Sounds like a good ole boy connection is about to happen. Why don’t you city leaders sit as the panel and have an open forum with the public. That would show you want to save money instead of hiring a bunch of friends. Unless they are going to it for free. Yeah right.