VIRGINIA BEACH
Two women dove into the trunk together, pulling out two brown-bag lunches, a pair of fried-chicken dinners and a half-dozen pamphlets on how to protect yourself from scams. They walked up Louise Finnigan's Windsor Woods driveway and put their Meals on Wheels food on the kitchen counter.
Cathy Parks, coordinator of the city's Consumer Affairs Program, spoke first.
"If you all ever have any questions," she said, "or if you need help with anything, you can give us a call."
"Us old folks," the 85-year-old Finnigan retorted, "we always need help."
But if the proposed city budget is approved by City Council in the spring, the consumer office will close. The four-person staff would move to other jobs, and the city would save $339,000.
The office - one of three locally based programs in Virginia - had been cut in preliminary budgets at least twice before, but public objections saved it.
"It's trying," said Phil Pritchard, an investigator with the program. "You sit here and try to do a good job and we're on the block again. It gets old."
Parks has led the office since 1993 and remains hopeful that another public outcry will convince the council to restore the funding.
"I am baffled by why we have to keep doing this," she said. "I'm not surprised, I'm confused as to why, when the public has spoken... why are we going through this again?"
Budget officers said they looked to cut programs that are found elsewhere. So while the Beach program handles roughly 800 annual requests for investigations or mediations, a state office does the same job.
"In some cases, having more of a local influence works better," said Councilman Ron Villanueva. "But in these times where we've got to make some tough budget decisions, we need to put things that may duplicative on the table."
Councilwoman Reba McClanan understands, but wonders why this program often is targeted.
"It's like a rubber ball that keeps bouncing back to us," she said. "That's not going to be my first cut and it never will be."
Parks argues that her program, under the commonwealth's attorney's office, is more in touch with the community. Her staff runs classes on fraud prevention, works with senior-citizen groups to educate residents, and partners with Meals on Wheels to deliver food and educational materials to home-bound citizens.
Replacing her staff with people in Richmond would reduce the level of consumer protection and education services provided, she believes.
"I just want the people of Virginia Beach to picture having to call a 1-800 number to have just a small portion of those things getting done," said Harvey Bryant, the city's commonwealth's attorney.
Bryant cut the program from his budget, he said, because City Manager Jim Spore told department heads to reduce spending. He added that the program is worthwhile, but not one he has to provide.
Still, Bryant hopes the funding is restored. He touts program accomplishments such as getting an estimated $400,000 a year returned to consumers.
There's also a question of what the office's elimination would mean for the state.
Andres Alvarez, director of the state Division of Consumer Protection, said his office already handles about 4,200 complaints a year. Adding Virginia Beach's caseload would be a nearly 20 percent increase, and he has to look into how his office would handle that.
"This won't have an impact in Virginia Beach alone," Alvarez said. "This will dilute our resources at the state level. It will have a ripple effect."
The effect would stretch to people such as Debbie Cowan, a 53-year-old who gets Meals on Wheels deliveries to her townhouse off Holland Road.
"I'm not able to do it," said Cowan, who has spinal issues. "I can't stand on these feet for long enough to fix something to eat."
As Cowan got her delivery last week, she mentioned that she needs to hire a contractor for improvements around her home.
"Maybe you have a friend who needs some work?"
Cathy Parks explained consumer protection services, urging Cowan to run background checks on contractors and verify that they are reputable. Cowan nodded, saying that was a good idea.
"That's why we're here," Parks said later. "That's why we keep pushing on."
Richard Quinn, (757) 222-5119, richard.quinn@pilotonline.com
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truth & consequences
I'm guessing that most of you complaining on this page are the same short-sighted, uninformed people who are members of the so-called taxpayers alliance or at least folks of the same ilk. Guess what? When you take the lowest tax-rate in the area and try to slash it further, services are going to get cut. Unlike the FED gov't, it is actually illegal for cities to operate in the red, so they can't just cut taxes and increase spending. Plus did you notice it said in the article that Virginia Beach's program was one of only 3 in the entire state provided by local governments? yeah that's right, we have the lowest taxes in the area and the best services (but not for long if you people keep it up). Oh and btw, when you keep referencing "funding developers" and other major city projects, you completely display your utter ignorance - its the revenue that projects like the 31st Hotel AND Park, Town Center, and Covention Center produce in the long run that allow us to have THE LOWEST PROPERTY TAX RATE BY FAR IN HAMPTON ROADS!!! Honestly if you think you have it so bad in Va Beach PLEASE MOVE to one of the other city's that you apparently think are utopian paradises.
Cut Where?
Before the city decides to cut service, maybe VB council should cut funding for toward development. No, we do not need to fund another parking garage at town center. No we do not need to fund a parking garage at the cenvention center hotel. No we don't need a hotel at 31st street (oops to late for that). No we don't need a (failed) soccer complex (oops, too late for that). Yes! Fund the community programs, just quit funding the developers! I bet there would be tons of money available then to support the city.
We change priorities by changing our elected officials.
Nice quotes from the councilman, but if he hadn’t voted to spend that 30 million they just happened to find a few years ago and instead put it aside for times like this, the elderly and under advantaged wouldn’t have to pay the price. These guys don’t bat any eye to throw millions into public-private projects, but $300,000 for pubic safety gets put on the chopping block. We change priorities by changing our elected officials. Government's proper function is public safety and not investing in the private sector with "OUR" money. As a tax payer in this City, I don't mind my money going to public safety, but I do mind it when the City Council spends it subsidizing a private motel/hotel, etc. We need CHANGE!
Setting Priorities
It is typical, when money gets short, for the city to call for cutting essential services, because they know there will be an outcry, knowing the idea is unconscionable. The city has millions for developers 'incentives' and 'nice to have' things but essential services are optionable. Not the way to run the largest city in Virginia. Notice to city council; there is an election comming up! We need some sensible people to run for office who know how to set priorities.
Let charities such as
Let charities such as churches take on this work.
Better idea
It USED to be that Businesses would pay for walkways and such, if it meant higher aaccesability to their businesses by shoppers. More accessability = more business=more income. Why is Va Beach paying for this, and not the important things?
It staggers the imagination.
Good move! Let's save $300K. Who cares about old people and the needy! What good are they.....they don't contribute thousands of dollars to the politicians' reelection campaigns.
Better to give millions to the builders. At least you know they'll fill your coffers when election time rolls around.
In truth, I was incredulous when I read this article. To think that Virginia Beach, which raises it's skirts for virtually any building project, and willingly commits millions in taxpayer money in the process.....to think that they'd shut down such a worthwhile program for such a pittance....it staggers the imagination.
Yep
Now now my dear posters below, this is the car tax cut. The state reduced funding in multiple ways to the localities. You cannot have your cake and eat it too. Try to follow me here: Federal taxs cut= less funding to state. State taxes/funding cut= less funding to locality. Local politicians try to keep the car on the road but appear to be the bad guy. Higher level polls look like heros for cutting taxes.
You cannot vote to reduce taxes and then complain that socialist programs are cut.
not good
I am usually the one on these boards saying that the city should continue with such projects as the walkway from the mall to town center. However, this program is certainly not something that should be cut. If by cutting it, we are only saving $300,000, then I feel it is certainly possible to shave just a little bit off such projects like the walkway and other area projects to make up for this.
SOMETHING TO CHEW ON
how about vb scrap the plans to create a 3 million dollar walkway from town center to pembroke mall? i'm not sure too many people would even want shop those two places at the same time or park at one to get to the other. why not use that money towards projects like this that make a difference? sounds like all city officials care about is how the city looks than how the people live.
Virginia Beach Community Program Faces End Of The Road
I have a great idea...cut Jim Spore and send him back to Texas if they'll take him. Leave the Consumer Affairs alone. It's more important than Spore.
Consumer affairs
Every time it's a tough budget year, consumer affairs and some other stuff goes on the chopping block. It isn't an essential program from a local perspective; but city council will probably restore it somehow. They don't like budget cuts to be explicit, but instead vague. The simple fact is that the City of VB can't maintain a comprehensive set of quality services on a real estate tax rate of $.89/$100. There is a major shortfall in maintenence and infrastruture investment already. However, city councils' often short-change maintenence because the effects don't show up for a few years. This is called "NIMTO"... Not in my term of office. Over time, services become hollowed out, vehicles and other equipment aren't replaced in a timely manner, and services are delivered in reactive mode.