Minutes 04/30/1991 - Laserfiche WebLink

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588 April 30, 1991 It has been a struggle to prepare this recommended budget. We find ourselves, however, in a far better budgetary condition than we might otherwise have been due to the conservative budget actions which were taken last year at the urging of the Municipal Finance. Commission and t~e direction of the City Council. In truth, I believe that PortSmouth acted sooner than most municipalities~ in preparing for the~economic impact of the national recession.. I will not be so bold as to suggest whether the cause was foresight or COinCidence, however, I fully believe that it was the budgetary action adopted by Council last year that allo~s me to present to you a budget that is devoid of some of the drastiC actions that other localities ~re~n0w.fa~ing. ~: PortsmOUth has Certainly felt the impact of the national recession, as some local revenues have declined. The retail sales tax continues to be of special concern. Probably more onerous than the decline in local revenues, has been the reduction of State funding. The State has devised a myriad of insidious as well as obvious ways in which to reduce funding to localities in almost eve~ry program or,shared responsibility in which they financially ~~ '0nfortunately, it is predictable~that when state revenues are ~needed to offset local revenue losses, State revenues will be reduced. These twin enemies, local revenue losses and State cuts, usually attack our financial stability simultaneously. Because our economic base is a moderate one, it is especially important for Portsmouth to be vigilant and responsibly positioned to withStand such assaults on our fiscal well'being. This recorm~ended budget will continue our deliberate and disciplined efforts to maintain financial stability, and if our resolve to live within our fiscal means remains firm, Portsmouth will continue to be managed by design rather than by crisis. In last year's budget message, there was a clear call for greater citizen and community economic responsiveness, responsibility, and purpose. At the same time, our entire community was asked to strongly embrace and, with determination, establish effective and efficient "Workable PartnerShips" and~fully commit to the rewards of working together. Our themes were "Do The Right Thing -- Do The Thing Right -- and Working Tog~ether Works." I am very pleased to report, twelve months later, that our City is much more responsibly positioned, ie~conomicalty and fiscally, and that we are now better off than we'w~ l~s~ Year; I am exceptionally pleased to advise you of our substantially improved posit'ion. Our accomplishments speak for themselves! Our achievements over the past year have come as a result of the careful, measured, and deliberate application of method driven by a powerful belief of what we can be. While the local media has not given us "our place in the sun," we know that we are there. Our success is visible, for it has both form and substance -- you can see and touch it~ Accordingly, I salute our citizens, elected representatives, and all City employees who have firmly established this City on a municipal path which will enable Portsmouth, Virginia to realize its destiny and comfortable place ~in the community of Hampton Roads. A word of caution is now indicated. Now that the "patient," our City, is in better health, we must not depart from those methods and practices which have improved our municipal health. In last year's budget message, I asked the following question, "What can we do to sustain our growth without a further decline of our financial position?" I later advised in that same message that the answer was to be