Minutes 04/02/2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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April 2, 2013 At a Called Meeting of the City Council on Tuesday, April 2, 2013, there were present: Mayor Kenneth I. Wright, Vice Mayor Paige D. Cherry, William E. Moody, Jr., Marlene W. Randall, Elizabeth M. Psimas, Dr. Curtis E. Edmonds. Sr., City Manager John L. Rowe, J r. 13 - 147 -The following call for the meeting was read: "Please attend a Called Meeting of the City Council to be held in the City Council Chamber, 801 Crawford Street, 6:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 2, 2013 for the purpose of the proposed Operating and Capital Improvement Plan Budgets. In addition, you may consider a motion to go into a Closed Meeting. By order of the Mayor." 13 - 148 -The following item was discussed in Public Work Session: 1. Presentation of Proposed Operating Budget and Capital Improvement Plan by John L. Rowe, Jr., City Manager I am pleased to submit my Fiscal Year 2013-2014 Proposed Operating and Capital Improvement (CIP) Budget for your consideration. I am happy to report that we have balanced this budget without increasing the real estate tax rate, the personal property tax rate, the utility rate, stormwater rate, or the solid waste collection fee. In addition, this budget includes a number of bold initiatives that are forward thinking and which will position the City for a financially stronger future. We have prepared this budget during an economic period that continues to be challenging for cities and counties in Virginia and the nation as a whole. In the aftermath of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, localities across the nation have struggled mightily to fend off decline. They have been battered by the recession and forced to cut services, infrastructure maintenance, staffing, and reserves. As you are well aware, Portsmouth took similar actions as a result of its decline in revenue. In spite of this backdrop, this budget accomplishes some very significant things for our community. This proposed budget does the following: • Maintains core municipal services • Invests in our employees and our community • Implements three bold new initiatives: o Quickly restores the City's two closed pension systems to a fiscally sound funding level o Eliminates the Social Security Offset for retirees of the City's closed Portsmouth Supplemental Retirement System plan o Provides curbside recycling to our residents at no additional cost • Continues the City's commitment to its Public Schools at an adequate funding level • Avoids any new tax increases, utility rate increases, layoffs, or furloughs • Maintains city staffing levels necessary for departments to accomplish their missions • Reinvests in critical infrastructure