The Virginian-Pilot
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VIRGINIA BEACH
Councilman Glenn Davis said his cell phone was vibrating this week during the City Council meeting, with calls from residents angry about a plan to use $8.8 million in school reserves to balance the budget.
The public response has continued, and a crowd is expected at a rally supporting the school budget outside City Hall at 5 p.m. Tuesday, an hour before the council meets.
“We just want to make sure our voice is heard,” said Felicia Bailey, president of the Virginia Beach Council of PTAs, which is sponsoring the rally with the Virginia Beach Education Association. “It’s hard, in this economy, to make decisions that please everyone.
“But because the school division did so much to save this money, that money should stay with the school division.”
The city plans to use the funds to help pay for a new animal shelter and Bayside recreation center.
Many e-mails to the City Council have echoed Bailey . Others said the city should make full funding of schools a higher priority than new projects.
Matthew Slevin, who has a daughter at Red Mill Elementary and a son who will go there next year, e-mailed the mayor to make that point. He was dissatisfied with the response, a form letter that emphasized the schools would be fully funded for the first year of their biennial budget.
“The bottom line is the mayor is going to do what he is going to do, and we’ll just vote him out of office,” Slevin said.
The Virginia Beach Democratic Committee also passed a resolution objecting to the transfer, which the superintendent has said could lead to larger classes, a shorter school year and possible layoffs during the 2011-12 school year.
“That’s a projection,” Councilwoman Rosemary Wilson said.
Councilman Davis said many voters are reaching out with misinformation.
“They think the sky is falling,” Davis said. “They don’t realize there’s $40 million in surplus.”
According to figures from the city and the division, the schools have about $24 million in reserves. About $22 million more is anticipated, though a state shortfall will take about half of that. The city has a $167 million reserve.
Some residents are focusing on the broader picture.
“Our students, not animals, are our future,” Liz McLaughlin wrote in a letter sent to the city clerk.
“Get your priorities straight or VB, and you, will go to the dogs!”
Lauren Roth, (757) 222-5133, lauren.roth@pilotonline.com
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I agree!
I agree with my user name!
Perspective please
Well aalto, I am quite perplexed at the emotional response to the budget deal worked out by City Council. While I am pleased that folks are paying attention, they need to realize that no school division in the Commonwealth is better supported by the taxpayers and the City Council than Virginia Beach. In fact, the boo birds usually are on these forums protesting the size of the school budget given the declines in enrollment, yet the City Manager and the Council have defended investment is the school division saying that education is essential, crucial, important, and highly supported by our citizenry. This dust up over a relatively inconsequential $8M or so, seen in the context of the incredible support of our City Council over the last decade, is sad to see. Frankly, one would think that some of the elected school board members would have the fiscal knowledge to put this into perspective, especially in view of Council's past incredible support for K-12 education.
Please get a clue!
You have no factual basis for your comment that no school system is better supported. It is, in fact, UNTRUE! City Council does not finacially support VB Schools well in comparison to Northern Virgina and many other areas of VA. First and for most, City Council is underhanded and dishonest when it makes promises to the school system it never keeps.
Interesting
Amazingly quiet from the developer complaining about boo-birds, and how spending tax dollars will reduce the tax burden.
I bet if we put off the $10 million dollar purchase of luxury rail road tracks until "not one dime should be spent on LRT until the DEIS is complete", we could leave education alone, and buy luxury items when the economy improves.
Train
Once peak oil hits in the next 2-3 years, gas prices will accelerate and also the HR region is growing in population from coastal migration. By the time this train is done, it will be cheaper and less time consuming than driving back and forth long distances between the villages of tidewater. Long term Infrastructure is what govenment is supposed to build. Lets not forget, it was southern states that opposed the transcontinental railroad back in the 1860's and it only got done when the south dropped out and formed their failed state (the conferderacy). When the railroad was done, California was able to prosper as the price of goods dropped. Also they were able to get capital equipment to enable their own industry. This train will enable service/low wage workers to commute in a cost effective way to jobs far away where they are needed (oceanfront luxury hotels can't operate unless they have cleaning staff). When gas hits $10/gallon, our train can keep low wage workers in their jobs, otherwise they will have to quit as they will be spending an entire check on gas and also be caught up in LA style traffic.
IT IS NOT A TRAIN....
it is a choo-choo trolley....LOL!!!
Say Again...
So...these low-wage earners are going to catch the light rail from where to where? Only the rich will drive and the poor will ride?? Is that what you are saying?
And how many people are riding that trans-continental train now?
And of course you are assuming that the cost to ride will be reasonable. Last I heard, in many cities that have mass transit, the maintenance costs arbreaking the city bank and the cities can't raise the price because they will price themsleves out of the market.
Recheck your plan.
The future
I would like to reitterate that this train is for the future workforce. In the next 20 years, our area will grow at last 50% in population and its not far fetched to think that gasoline will be for only the rich. Moreover, the oceanfront will have more Hilton style hotels and more expensive homes and condos. All these areas for the workers like cardinal gardens and trail of tears will be gone and the workers will be pushed out further. If we don't provide transport for the workers, we will not have anyone to do the real work needed to run the luxury sector. Our front desk/housekeepers/drivers will need a means to commute to work. The train is going to be paid for by other areas of the economy that grow from its existence (enablement investment vs. capital investment) In 20 years when we will reap the benefits of the train paid for today, this will look very cheap like Hoover Dam or the Erie Canal. Btw. the transcontinental railroad is now used for freight and last I checked, Warren Buffet bought the story as well that its essential to the American economy.
GEEZ.....
you must be one of those developers and sounding like the expert on the choo-choo trolley.....the future so bright, you got to wear shades....er...blinders...LOL!!!
Really?
Then why is the existing HRT system so underused?
Where is this wizz-bang train going to pick up these masses of low-wage people you so easily identify? Ever look at the route of this train?
Or have you even listened to the wing-nuts that are touting what this train is for? Ever heard the term TOD? This is not a commuter system. This is not a transportation alternative. This is a train system designed and paid for by hardworking taxpayers to entice further over-development along the train tracks.
No one at HRT or the TDCHR will admit this train system will solve any transportation problems. No, they want more development, which in tidewater, translates to more cars on the streets.
Gas was over $3.00 a gallon last year. How much did HRT use increase then?