Minutes 03/29/2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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March 29, 2004 · Funding an additional $4 million for Schools. An increase in the transfer to Schools of $4 million. Achieving full staffing in Fire and Police. This fall I expect the Fire and Police Departments to be fully staffed, putting more public safety personnel on the streets. Maintaining the current workforce. More than 18 vacant positions were eliminated, yet no filled positions have been reduced, keeping current workforce levels intact. For the first time in memory, there are fewer than 2,000 City positions (excluding grant-funded positions). · Maintaining City services. Despite the many challenges facing the City, there are no significant reductions in City services proposed. Maintaining a quality workforce. A 2% general pay increase on January 1, 2005, is proposed to help keep pace with the rising cost labor in the region and to attract and maintain a quality workforce. Achieving the financial strategies. Through prudent planning and financial management, the fiscal sustainability issues facing the City will be resolved within the next three years, and many are resolved immediately within this budget. Maintaining our commitment to retirees. The full funding of the actuarial requirement for the Portsmouth Supplemental Retirement System and the Fire and Police Retirement System ensures that the system will remain solvent over the next 50 years. Funding $1.2 million for local civic organizations. The continued support by the City for local human services and cultural organizations that provide a higher quality of life for our citizens and are an intricate part of the City services continuum. As these highlights indicate, one highlight of the FY 05 operating budget is the maintaining of current services. No significant additions to current services or programs are proposed. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS The final aspect of the FY 05 Budget that I would like to discuss is the CIP. There are many exciting things planned for the CIP over the five-year plan. As mentioned earlier, we were able to reallocate $3.7 million of existing general obligation bond authority to new projects in FY 05, requiring only $10.7 million in new authority, including the annual Schools allocation. Of the $10.7 million in new authorization, $4.5 million is allocated to a new Behavioral Healthcare Building, which will be supported through revenues from the State, making the City portion only $6.2 million. This Capital Improvement Program reflects the needs of the City, while maintaining the necessary level of affordability. · Funding for the Schools' Request. Full funding for the Schools' request of $5 million in FY 05, and $30.4 million over the five years of the program. · Funding for a new Hoffler Creek Nature Center. $250,000 in FY 05 for a Nature Center at Hoffler Creek. · Funding for the New Churchland Library. $820,000 in FY 05 to bring the total funding for the library to $1.6 million. The new Library's proposed location is in the renovated Coleman Nursery facility. · Funding for a Path of History. $180,000 in FY 05 for the Path of History to highlight the City's rich Naval tradition. · Funding for the new Truxtun Fire Station. $3 million in FY 05 and FY 06 for the construction of a new Truxtun Fire Station to provide improved fire services. · Funding for City Gateway Project. $200,000 annual funding for the City Gateway Project to improve the aesthetic quality of the City's gateways.