Minutes 04/28/2020 - Laserfiche WebLink

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April 28, 2020 The following comments were submitted by citizens for the April 28, 2020 Virtual City Council meeting: 20-107 (a) Public hearing to consider the Annual Operating Budget for FY2021. 1) As a citizen of Portsmouth and an public education advocate, I would like to thank all of you for considering and adopting a proposed budget that includes an increase in funding for Portsmouth's school system. This investment is critical to the success of this city as a whole. Education is the foundation for building and growing our hometown and we need to keep that foundation as strong as possible. I do have a concern that is rooted in the funding structure that has allowed for this increase. As an individual, paying a higher meal tax to fund our schools is something that I would not think twice about. However, our restaurant owners and large number of citizens are not happy with this as it means more money coming out of the citizens' pockets and a potential loss of revenue for the restaurants. I would like to know is there any other way that the budget can be reworked that the impact on the citizens is lessened but the overall goal of increasing funding for our schools is still achieved. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider my comments. Sergio Neal 1560 Darren Cir, Portsmouth, Va 23701, 757-553-6712 2) As stated in my video critique of the agenda for this virtual meeting, I do not consider action on any of the 20-107 budgetary items as conforming to the guidance provided by Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring in his letter to Delegate Sullivan. (See https://oag.state.va.us/files/Opinions/2020/Sullivan- Opinion-Request.pdf.) At the core of the matter is this essential precept: "\[P\]ublic bodies should carefully consider whether taking a given action during a meeting held by electronic communication means is truly essential and should defer any and all decisions that can be deferred until it is once again possible to meet in person." \[emphasis is mine\] Regarding budgetary matters for the upcoming fiscal year, council could delay adoption until the final second of June 30, 2020, and not run afoul of state code. Although that would be cutting it closer than any of us would prefer, you could reasonably run the process up to the last regular meeting in June without doing undue harm to the city and its citizens. Furthermore, receiving public testimony on the city manager's budget as presented on March 24, 2020, is a waste of everyone's time. Although Dr. Patton gave the presentation in good faith, within days of its airing, the world turned upside down because of the corona virus pandemic. Nothing within the power of any individual or group will offset the economic disruptions already experienced in this crisis, to say nothing of those that lie ahead. Consequently, all the revenue assumptions contained in that budget document are significantly overstated. As the City of Portsmouth, unlike the federal government, cannot print and circulate more money to offset its income shortfalls, the expenditure side of the budget will have to be adjusted correspondingly. To keep faith with the citizenry, then, a new budget that accounts for the dramatically altered global economic landscape needs to be formulated, discussed with council in recorded work sessions, and provided for citizen input through a public hearing process. Although the first regular council meeting in June is scheduled for the 8th, two days before the Governor's shelter-in-place order is due to expire, a special budget hearing could be set for the following Tuesday. If social distancing remains in force, the venue could be a high school auditorium rather than the council chamber itself. The focus of council should be on getting a realistic budget in place on time without shortchanging the public's entitlement to meaningful participation in the process. What you contemplate doing tomorrow evening does not come anywhere near meeting that standard. Consequently, I request that you drop items 20-107 (a), (b), and (c) from the April 28 agenda and reschedule them once a new budget package has been presented and discussed adequately by council.