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If the Virginia Beach City Council were starring in a reality TV show, members would be congratulated for their back-to-back blindsides of the School Board. Trouble is, this isn't a reality show or a game, much as the city's financial governance seems to resemble one these days.
After the public hearings on the city's $1.9 billion budget for 2010-11 - none of which included discussion about using school reserves to pay for city projects - the council told the School Board last week that it planned to take $8.8 million from school savings accounts to help pay for an animal shelter and a recreation center.
It did so Tuesday night, as is its right and responsibility as caretaker of all the city's money.
But in a move that fueled an already seething School Board, the council also voted, without notice or discussion, to remove the freedoms the schools were given last year to decide how to spend their money.
The School Board and administrators are angry, and with good reason.
The schools have been financially responsible, spending conservatively and saving wherever they could. With the blessing of the city, the School Board set aside about $25 million in savings in 2008 to offset budget cuts expected over the next few years.
Last year, when the City Council told school officials it needed about $9 million from that savings account to shore up the city's budget, the council agreed to give the School Board more authority to transfer money within its budget, to use savings from one category for expenses in another.
This week, the council yanked that budgetary freedom, a decision that showed no respect for either the fiscal responsibility the schools have shown or for the City Council's relationship with the School Board.
Contrary to the expressed wishes of Mayor Will Sessoms to improve communication between the two elected boards, this latest action looks suspiciously like bullying, almost like payback for school officials having the temerity to challenge the City Council's wishes.
It's true that Virginia Beach is paying for every penny the School Board requested in its budget. It's true that since 1997, the city has backed a massive plan to replace or renovate two dozen schools. The city pumps money into the schools and the schools lure employers and residents to Virginia Beach.
So why risk sabotaging that? Why risk damaging a relationship that has served citizens well?
If city leaders believe their spending plan is in the best interest of all Virginia Beach citizens, why wouldn't they be forthright about it with the School Board? Why not discuss it openly, so everyone understands the reasons, the strategy, the history?
This budget battle wasn't really about schoolchildren, or homeless animals, or a place for underprivileged kids. It was about power, a fact driven home by the City Council's decision to take the School Board down a financial notch.
Sadly, if the council and the School Board can't find a way to begin working together productively, this power struggle between adults will eventually become very much about the city's schoolchildren, and how they're victims stuck in the middle.
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Where it comes from... :-(
If you wish to see where such a plan really comes from, especially the "bullying" side of it; look no further than Assistant City Manager, Steve Herbert. This is his style and trademark that we in Suffolk suffered under for many years. It is also how he handles public policy issues, by coming around from the back-side. That is why he was fired in Suffolk as the City Manager... The only benefit in all this, is he is no longer in Suffolk... I am sorry for the citizens of Virginia Beach to have such a poor public servant doing your bidding. :-(
Roger A. Leonard
Suffolk...
Elected School Boards need independent taxing authority
THat way the board members who make promises and form the budget are responsible for collecting the necessary revenue and spending or saving it. And City Council is then "hands off". Board members whould then have to run on how they managed the budget and carried out the campaign promises from the last election as well.
well
It seems to me, that if developers paid the 40 million in taxes that are due, then the city and the school board wouldn't be in this fight to begin with. So maybe if those that are always advocating for higher taxes would just pay theirs..... well we would all be better off.
Flat out wrong
Yes, I would have expected no less from you 2cents. But perhaps you ought to get your facts straight. There are builders and developers on the list, but by no means are they the majority of the names on the list. Also, as we have found that the list is flawed in the two cases in which our name appears, once in Portsmouth, the other in Virginia Beach, so would I expect that we are not alone. Is the entire list flawed? I have no idea, but they are two for two in our case, so I must assume there are other errors. This list needs to be scrubbed by each City before this raw data file is released to the press, which apparently has accepted it as accurate to base headlines upon. For in our case the headline..."South Hampton Road's biggest tax Deliquents? Developers..." is flat out wrong.
It doesn't matter if
It doesn't matter if developers are the majority of the list or not. If they owe the most (collectively) then they are the biggest tax delinquints.
Corrupted Power....
Taking money from the VBCPS would be a non-issue if, IF, the general consenus of VB citizens was that City Council spent its money wisely and took into account the needs of all citizens when spending their money. But the spending habits and appearance of favoritism towards developer project's with total disregard of citizen input puts the CC in a vulnerable position for attacks.
It has been years since the SB and CC have had a cordial relationship. I remember sitting at a meeting with Fawcett saying he had a plan to get even with CC and they wouldn't like it. Unfortunately, his plan was a bad plan. I know Jenney over-calculated spending in order to have year-end surpluses because the CC wouldn't fund his plans for capital improvements and other one-time expenses. Again, the SB is required to present a budget of NEED but are forced to fund the school's based on what the CC will give them.
This was about power...an unwise and short-sighted use of power.
But more importantly, the message I received from all this is if CC operates in such a sleazy way with the SB, how can any ordinary citizen think they'd treat us any better or be any more transparent with us.
School'
Over reaction
That's an amazing condemnation of a city council that totally funded the school board's request, cut $80.3 million from the city budget, cut 200 positions, took a firm stand on dealing with the ticking time bomb of unfunded employee benefits even when the Commonwealth punted, dealt with a General Assembly that cut $4 B from the budget of the Commonwealth, most of which was sent to localities to deal with, and still was able to keep up with most programs and services that our citizens want and need. This was a minor dust up in a very tough budget year, and some perspective and balance is needed on these pages. Frankly, I could care less if the two bodies have a cordial relationship; I do however expect them to work together to serve the public interest. Frankly, they generally do, until this became an irritant becasue of the use of emergency notification system, and the irrational response of some school board members. However, se will get back to a positive relationship very soon.
ok...and...
It is my understanding that you were, at one time, Asst City Manager, or something, and are now an exec with a development company. Why did you leave? And if your blaise attitude about public employee's and your defense of uncontrolled spending is indicative of how you help guide this city...no wonder citizen discontent is so high. Then you wonder how the TPA came into being?
In a letter to the editor Spore admitted they didn't actually cut 200 positions.
The VBCPS budget is planned around the 51.3% of 7 revenue streams. The amount of funding projected by the city will be the amount of funding the school's will receive...with actual numbers coming in after the school division has preliminary calculations for its budget. It s NOT a budget of NEED as is required by state code....and you know that.
and...more..
Again $8.8M to the city or schools is chump change. It was the blind-sided attack that stinks....and the misappropriation of funds by the
The only innocents in this are children...there is enough political blame to work it's way to Washington and back....including the SB and administration and the "no taxers." But we need to have civil and honest conversations in order to get the people elected who truly believe in good, responsible government.
Cordiality IS important...they cannot work together if there is no trust or respect. Cordial doesn't mean agree.
And finally...I supported Spore's request for a real estate tax hike in 2008 using the argument what are citizen's willing to do without under the current rate. I was booed by the entire audience. I do understand the importance of paying taxes, but, just like with my own income, I realize my limitations.
Continued...
Again, this underscores the claim by many involved in and outside of education that school's are important to politician's, but only at election time....and they don't vote on budgets during election season.
One more point I'd like to make that the editorial did not. The SB Chair, Dan Edwards' has consistently said he is not an advocate for the schools. Based on his comments these last few days...I would say he still thinks advocacy is not important. But advocy is important and not just at budget time. Effective leadership stands up for their constituents, takes some risks, and hopes for an acceptable outcome. Throughout the last several years, he and other SB members have abdicated their duty to the children, the taxpayers, and employees...whether they have taxing authority or not. There is not one true advocate in the bunch, although....Im not much of a Carolyn Weems fan, but I will give her credit, she does stands up for what she believes.
What happened at the meeting between the CC and the SB Chair, Vice Chair and the Superintendent on Monday? Evidently more than was reported in the paper.