Minutes 05/22/2001 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

May 22, 2001 Recommendation: a) Adoption of an ordinance pertaining to the taxation of real estate, tangible personal property, privately-owned pleasure boats, privately-owned camping trailers and motor homes, and machinery and tools. b) Adoption of an ordinance to amend Chapter 35 of the Code of the City of Portsmouth pertaining to the cigarette tax and the guest lodging tax. c) Adoption of an ordinance to amend Chapter 38 of the Code of the City of Portsmouth pertaining to water service charges and sewage disposal charges into the City sewer system. d) Adoption of an ordinance to amend Chapter 16 of the Code of the City of Portsmouth pertaining to refuse collection fees. e) Adoption of an ordinance establishing new rates for ambulance fees charged by the Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services. f) Adoption of an ordinance adopting the 2001-2002 Classification and Pay Plan for employees of the City of Portsmouth. g) Adoption of an ordinance to approve the Annual Operating Budget and appropriate the funds necessary to implement the Annual Operating Budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2001 and ending June 30, 2002. Purpose and Need: · The Annual Operating Budget is the culmination of intensive work on the part of the departments, department heads, and senior management to assess the needs of the individual departments in delivering services to our citizens. This assessment is performed with the City Council goals and objectives clearly in mind. a) This ordinance will re-enact the tax rates on tangible personal property, privately owned pleasure boats, privately owned camping trailers and motor homes and machinery and tools to maintain these tax rates at the currently established levels and proposes an increase to the real estate tax from the current $1.36 per $100 assessed value to $1.42 per $100 assessed value. b) This ordinance proposes to increase the cigarette tax from the current $.30 per pack to $.35 per pack and to increase the guest lodging tax from the current 6.50% to 8.00%. c) This ordinance proposes to increase water service charges from the present $2.60 per 1,000 gallons per month to $2.70 per 1,000 gallons per month. In addition, the charge for sewage disposal is proposed to increase from $1.95 per 1,000 gallons of water usage to $2.00 per 1,000 gallons of water usage. This increase is consistent with those proposed in Public Utilities Long-range Strategic Financial Plan. d) This ordinance proposes to increase refuse collection fees from the present $16 per month per collection to $18 per month per collection. This increase is necessary due to the increase in tipping fees charged by SPSA. e) The ambulance fees proposed by the Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services will establish new rates for patient evaluation, treatment or ambulance transport. The City's proposed fee structure will be comparable to that of other localities and will generate $500,000 annually in new revenue. f) The annual Classification and Pay Plan for City employees encompasses the schedule for grading of each position within the City, as well as the pay range for the responsibilities that the position merits. It also establishes the rules for promotion, demotion, additional duties and the salaries of the individuals appointed by the City Council. g) This ordinance will appropriate $361,745,473 for the total Annual Operating Budget on a per fund basis for the Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2001 and ending June 30, 2002.