The Virginian-Pilot
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The City Council reversed a five-year trend and unanimously voted Tuesday to increase the city's real estate tax rate by 3 cents.
Come July 1, Portsmouth's real estate tax rate will go up from $1.21 per $100 of assessed value to $1.24.
"We all know that what we're doing tonight is the right thing," Councilwoman Elizabeth Psimas said before making the motion to increase the tax rate.
The increase comes in a year when average residential assessments in the city remained flat. The rate is 5 cents less than City Manager Kenneth Chandler originally proposed.
The $557.4 million budget cuts local funding to the school system by $1.6 million in a year when the system already faced millions in state cuts.
But it also pays for a $2.3 million public safety retention plan council members promised the city's firefighters and police officers in December.
The budget also provides an additional $600,000 for senior real estate tax relief. The budget includes about $700,000 for the construction of a courts complex.
The budget does not call for any employee layoffs or furloughs.
The City Council also passed a $22.1 million capital improvements plan that doesn't call for any new projects.
The budget resulted from weeks of public hearings and discussions between Chandler and council members.
Initially facing a proposed budget shortfall of more than $19 million, Chandler and his staff pared that amount down to $3.5 million, through debt restructuring, cuts in most city departments by at least 11 percent, and other measures.
Jen McCaffery, (757) 446-2627, jen.mccaffery @pilotonline.com
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To PtownGuy
I'm actually a 2007 graduate of the Portsmouth Neighborhood Academy. I have a huge binder of notes, a leather notebook bearing the Portsmouth seal, a Portsmouth ink pen, and diploma to prove it. The Academy did a lot in edifying me on the programs of the departments in Portsmouth but what it did not inform me on is how the Social Services department oversees or regulates its funds to long-term recipients. I repeatedly asked if there were caps on the number of Section 8 residents designated to any one area of the city and no one would give me a definitive answer. The idea of the Academy is a great one, but it's more of a over-view lecture series about the different departments in the city rather than nitty-gritty information about each one.
I'm seeing my neighborhood overrun by Section 8 housing with no oversight. I'm tired of seeing the majority of those neighbors dealing drugs and tearing up property. I'm tired of the landlords of said housing not being responsible or available for repairs to their property.
Don't tell us an academy will solve our issues with these situations. To do so is rather ostrich-like.
P-Town Guy
"The real source of the difficulties we are in is the cascade of poor decisions by City Council through the years - not "welfare queens"."
While I do believe that Social Services does much good for many people. I also have to believe what I see with my own eyes in my own neighborhood. Too many of our social services dollars are going to able-bodied people scamming the system.
When the mailman tells you that the kids in some neighborhoods refer to him as the "check man"....you know that welfare has just gone too far and has become a way of life!
Maybe
We can get Kurt Russell to make the third installment "Escape From Portsmouth" and in a year or so The History Channel can do "One Year After People".
Smart p town, make your
Smart p town, make your schools even more undesirable and force good students and families out of the city. How about cutting social services and welfare. The kids are the future, the people on welfare already had their chance and failed.
Tax base
Yes, this action appears necessary and just puts into perspective how important it is to stimulate private investment in commercial real estate in order to increase the tax base to keep residential tax rates as low as can be. Other revenue from sources like tourism and increased sales taxes help as well, but nothing works as well as new commercial development or redevelopment that increases the size and quality of the tax base.
Well said, Yellowspine
And as in any other "hand-up" program, there needs to be more oversight for those receiving welfare. I'm tired of watching my Section 8 neighbor dealing drugs, smoking, and drinking on my dime. I'm retired and home most days. These people don't work (outside of their home-based commerce business) and it takes all I have not to call them on it.
Welfare programs were never meant to be long-term free rides. Unless and until a person is put in the position where they MUST help themselves, they will settle-in to what is given them. Pride is no longer enough.
Education is the way UP and OUT. FUND that, Portsmouth City Council!
to yellowspine
These people are educated. They know they can live better than we do because Portsmouth gives them everything they need and more.
Have to agree .... CUT SOCIAL SERVICES not Education
How do you get people off Social Services? Education them so they can be contributing members of society.
There are 100,000 people in Portsmouth.
Social Services for 2008 and 2009 was actually $49.5 million.
http://www.portsmouthva.gov/finance/2009Adopted%20budget/11%20Public%20Health%20and%20Welfare.pdf
They employ 391 people.
Take the budget and personnel cut from there, NOT from education.
And lets not start talking about other personal property taxes that are the highest in the HR area as well.
"Welfare" vs Social Services
I urge all those folks who think that "welfare" is at the heart of the City's problems to attend the Portsmouth Neighborhood Academy this September. It is a free 8-week program for Portsmouth residents. It's amazing what Social Services does for ALL the citizens of Portsmouth - despite their budget being cut by the State. It really opened my eyes. Educate yourselves before you post: call Bernadette Hogge at 393-8641 x 4129 or hoggeb@portsmouthva.gov to register. The real source of the difficulties we are in is the cascade of poor decisions by City Council through the years - not "welfare queens".
to all
The budget for Social Services and Behavioral Healthcare is 50 million not 40 million. Three years ago it was 38 million. I rant and rave at Council meetings but they look at me with that pretend to care look and then laugh. Until you can get the population of tax burdens to go down you are going to be hard pressed to elect anyone that will cut welfare. Why, because the majority rules. Think about it.