City Manager Gary O’Connell reported at last night’s City Council meeting that things are looking bad for the upcoming ~$80M budget. Due to state shortfalls, city schools will be losing $750,000, police $60,000, and social services programs $913,000. Library funding could be down by as much as 25% and funding for the state’s six-year transportation plan by 50%. Jake Mooney has the story in today’s Progress.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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I don’t have a copy of the budget here with me, but the loss to city schools through reduced state funding is likely to amount to something like 2% of their annual budget.
I wonder how much of this shortfall would have been made up had the dreaded car tax remained in existence? While I generally feel that taxes are way, way too high and the proceeds of same are administered totally without accountability by the powers that be, it was beyond stupid to slash the car tax without planning for the consequences.
On the flip side, how much of that shortfall constitutes budgetary fat anyway? Hard to tell.
Does anyone know if these are reductions in the actual funding amount, or reductions in the level of growth? In other words, are the schools going to get less money in the next budget versus the previous budget, or are they going to get a smaller increase in funding in the upcoming budget than they had hoped for?
And there going to be a shortage of money. Just how is this possible. Are there reliable numbers on school enrollment- in albemarle there ahas been almost 0 increase in students popluation because of the expansion of private schools, i.e. the Catholic school. In fact the increase in total student population projected 4 years ago to now has increased by ONE! And the county increased it’s budget by over 15 milion in those years.
It is an actual $750,000 decrease from state funds, from 16.38 million this year to 15.6 million next year. You can see it at
http://www.dpb.state.va.us/budget/02-04/Local/Local.htm
The state formula is incredibly complicated.
I don’t know about the county school enrollment as a whole, but our school’s numbers continue to increase. We have over 220 6th graders this year (we’ve never had a class over 200 before). That’s not a zero increase.
I would be suprise to find the city schools have increased by much in the last few years. And the catholic school only affecrs grades 1-3, so far.
Will expand to K-8 next year. Around 270 kids enrolled now.
Well, they did build MHS, an entirely new school, to alleviate the overcrowding problems in the others. So that could easily account for most (if not all) of the increase in funds.
that a 15 million increase that happens in each budget year. They don’t pay for a school every year. MHS cost was 20-25 mil and that is paid for over time. So it is part of the increase, just no where near the majority.
Will this mean that the traffic calming projects not take place? Please, please, please!!!
The total assessed value of real estate in the city in 2001 was $2.3 billion. The value for 2002 is $2.54 billion. That’s an increase of $240 million in value. This means the city saw an increase of $2.67 million in revenue.
What are your sources?
The city real estate assessor.
That is correct, but the City also sees an increase in expenditures to JUST the School Board, Jail, and Juvenile Detention Center of 3 million dollars.
Don’t forget the landfill. It’s going to cost the city 500 to 600 thou to close.
Exactly. We can’t just jump to conclusions on these things with one fact, such as real estate revenues going up. It’s a great thing that people like to live here and that the real estate market is so strong. At least we have one source of revenue that is healthy. Some localities can’t say that.
Of the increase in value $32.2 million was in new construction. That new construction also mean additional sales tax, BPOL, license fees, etc. How much is that? How does ALL the additional revenue compare to the deficit?
I guess we will see when the proposed budget comes out on March 4…