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May 4, 1983
<br />
<br /> At a special meeting of the City Council held on Wednesday~ May 4, 1983, there were
<br />present:
<br /> J. E. Johansen, Jack P. Barnes, Ben A. Beamer, Sr., James W. Holley, III, Gloria O.Webb,
<br /> Morton V. Whitlow, George L. Hanbury, City Manager, Steven Lieberman, City Attorney.
<br />
<br /> Absent: d. Robert Gray
<br />
<br /> Vice Mayor Ben A. Beamer, Sr., opened the meeting with prayer,
<br />of Allegiance to the Flag.
<br />
<br /> Mayor Johansen welcomed all vistors in attendance.
<br />
<br />followed by the Pledge
<br />
<br />7 i83-158 - Motion of Mr. Whitlow and seconded by Mrs~ Webb~ to recess the meeting until
<br />7:30 p.m. to give the public a chance to arrive as this is~the first meeting scheduled to
<br />begin at 7:200 p~m., and was adopted by unanimous vote. The meeting reconvened at 7:30 p.m.
<br /> 83-159 - Public Hearing to consider adoption of a prorated personal property tax system
<br /> for all motor vehicles, trailers and boats proposed to take effect July 1, 1983
<br /> was held.
<br />
<br />No one spoke.
<br />
<br />- REPORTS FROM THE CITY ~NAGER
<br />
<br /> The City Manager made the following presentation~concerning the proposed Budget for FY
<br />1983-84:
<br />
<br />Recommendations from the Municipal Finance Commission:
<br />
<br />(1) Reduce the proposed real estate ta~ rate from 10~ per $'~00:valuation to 7~.
<br />(2) To reject the proposed once a week garbage collection and impose an additional
<br /> $1 per month garbage collection fee.
<br />(3) To increase the personal property tax from $4 per $100 valuation to $4.50.
<br />(4) The additional 2~ on real estate revenue be placed in the reserve; increasing
<br /> the ~.!6% proposed to approximately 3.0% of the budget.
<br />
<br /> The City Manager stated that Council did not approve of the 10¢ increase in real estate,
<br />and did not approve the Municipal Finance Conmission increase of 7~, as well as increasing
<br />personal property from $4.00 to $4~50.
<br />
<br />The City Manager proposed the following changes: '.
<br /> tax rate
<br />(1) Increase real estate/from $1.30 to $1.35 per $100 valuation; total tax levy of 4.8%
<br /> one, of the lowest tax levy in Tideater.
<br />(2) To continue with twice a week garbage collection and impose an additional $1.00
<br /> per month, making total fee $5~00 per month.
<br />(3) Recommend that personal property tax be increased from $4.00 to $4.35 per $~00.
<br /> If Council agrees then we would have to advertise for a public hearing on rate
<br /> increase, to be considered on the 10th of May, with adoption on the 16th. This
<br /> would be an increase of 8.75% for personal property and recommend that the increases
<br /> in thel tax, rate be considered. Also, these rates I am proposing (real estate & per-
<br /> sonal property) is not sufficient to completely cover the entire budget expenditures
<br /> submitted.
<br />
<br /> In order not to e~se any major cuts in salary increases, I would propose that cuts
<br />be made in the following:
<br />
<br />(1) Equipment of the dumpster collections be discontinued, ~ cut $114,000 from the
<br /> budget and schools could save money by contracting this service out.
<br />(2) Recommend that Council cut contributions to EVMS by $20,000. Council has met its
<br /> pledge by 2~ times and leave contribution at $10,000. Also~propose to take $10,000
<br /> of that cut and place in ~conomic DevelopmentYto~allow Edonomice Development Dizector
<br /> to determine if he could accomplish $10,000 growth or marketing.
<br />(3) Eliminate $3,000 contribution to Tidewater Community College.
<br />(4) Eliminate $1,650 to Veterans Center, since 10 years ago office moved to Norfolk.
<br />(5) Reduce helicopter operations $4,000.
<br />(6) Reduce Parks & Recreation maintenance workers and equipment $16,788.
<br />
<br /> With the cuts and reinst~tm_tioR of twice a week garbage collection, we would have to
<br />increase the total expenditures of the budget $41,989, even with cuts just mentioned. With
<br />the increase of taxes and fees this would provide all the necessary revenue to support the
<br />budget.
<br />
<br /> On final item about schools equity betweem employees. Several items in the School Board
<br />Budget which could be financed through bonds. Items which have a 20 yr. replacement value,
<br />replacing boilers~ roofs, schooT~uildings~repairs,~and mas6nryw6r~on school~facili~ies~mb~n~fng t65400,
<br />~.~ ~h~.~u%~t~i~~.~ would free up the Schooli. Board budget by $400~,000 in the proposed
<br />budget, whereby the School Board could address the ~qu±ty 6n hospitalization.~ By addressing
<br />these improvements to the school plant through bonds we are, in effect, able to address the
<br />question and would like to attempt to establish equity this year. Consequently, I feel with
<br />this proposed budget, not all the concerns of everyone, and not satisfy all the wishes of every-
<br />one, but we are attempting to at least address a portion of these items, recognizing there are
<br />disparity in giving some hope for the future that we will continue to try to see if they can be
<br />reduced and even greater in the future."
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