Action Docket for Special Meeting (04/27/2000)

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Office of the City Clerk
April 28, 2000

There was a Budget Work
Session at 6:30 p.m. in the Council
Workroom.

Special Meeting
Thursday, April 27, 2000 - - 7:30 p.m.

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Please take notice that City Council held a Special Meeting (Budget Adoption) on Thursday, April 27, 2000, at 7:30 p.m., in the Council Chamber of City Hall, 301 King Street, Alexandria, Virginia, for the purpose of considering the following items.

/s/Philip Sunderland, City Manager

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OPENING

1. Calling the Roll.

The Meeting was called to Order by Mayor Donley, and the City Clerk called the Roll; all Members of City Council were present.
Council Action:_______________________________________________________________

2. Consideration of The Proposed Annual Operating Budget for FY 2000-2001 (including Schools) and The Proposed Capital Improvements Program for FY 2001-2006 (including the Schools CIP). (#2 4/10/00; #8 3/14/00)

WHEREUPON, a motion was made by Councilman Speck, seconded by Council Member Walker to move the City Manager's proposed FY 2001 General Fund Operating Budget with the following revenue adjustments: (1) an increase of $174,700 in the estimate of General Fund Personal Property Tax Revenue, to reflect revised projections based on receipts through March 31, 2000, in the amount of $174,700; (2) an increase of $205,000 in the estimate of the General Fund Restaurant Meals Tax Revenue, to reflect revised projections based on actual revenues received through March 31, 2000, in the amount of $205,000; (3) an increase of $100,000 in the estimate of General Fund Motor Vehicle License Tax Revenue, to reflect revised projections based on actual revenues received through March 31, 2000, in the amount of $100,000; (4) an increase of $460,000 in General Fund Permit Fees and Licenses, to reflect revised projections based on actual revenues received through March 31, 2000, in the amount of $460,000; and (5) a decrease of $515,000 in the estimate of the General Fund Sales Tax Revenue, to reflect revised projections based on actual revenues received through March 31, 2000, the net increase of those 5 items is $424,700 in General Fund Revenues for FY 2001; in addition, (6) an increase of $325,000 in the estimate of General Fund Other Miscellaneous Local Tax Revenue to reflect an increase in the E-911 tax rate from $0.25 per line per month to $0.50 per line per month; Expenditure adjustments: (7) the addition of an additional 0.5 percent to the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for City and Schools employees to go from 2 percent to 2.5 percent, to remain competitive with comparator jurisdictions, in accordance with the City's Compensation Philosophy, that would be in the amount of $1,100,000 of which $650,000 will be for City employees and $450,000 will be for Schools employees, and the adjustments for that $1.1 million will be from the following funding sources: $289,763 monies designated in the General Fund Balance for Compensation Adjustment Career Ladders that was set aside 4 years ago, $325,000 in revenues from the increase in the E-911 tax rate from $0.25 to $0.50 per line per month, $224,700 a portion of the increased FY 2001 General Fund Revenues, $260,537 as an increased appropriation from the undesignated General Fund Balance to total 1.1 million dollars; further adjustments, (8) to approve the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for all City employees, including the City Manager, City Clerk and for City Council aides and the Mayor's aide, those monies are included in the FY 2001 Proposed Budget of 2 percent and the item just referred to would increase that to 2.5 percent; (9) further, to approve merit-in-step increases for all eligible City employees. The eligibility of the City Manager and City Clerk for this increase shall be conditioned upon a satisfactory evaluation by City Council, and the amount of any increase shall be set by Council, there is no net impact on the Budget for those items; (10) approve an increase in the employer share of health care benefits for active and retired City employees to help offset part of the expected cost increases, there is no net impact; (11) approve an increase in the per diem payment for the Board of Equalization, from $75 to $100, to be comparable to other Northern Virginia jurisdictions. The annual cost is approximately $7,000, and this funding is included in the non-departmental budget. There is no net impact; additionally, (12) to approve a transfer of $15,000 from Contingent Reserves to the Court Service Unit budget to provide full funding for the existing youth services activities primarily funded by the Virginia Community Crime Control Act (AJCCCA) grant, $15,000 is the expenditure addition to the Court Service Unit and the monies are provided for under Contingent Reserves; (13) approve a transfer of $72,300 from Contingent Reserves to the Department of Planning and Zoning to fund a full-time Urban Planner/Urban Designer position to work on redevelopment issues, that $72,300 consists of $67,000 in salary and benefits and $5,300 for a GIS computer, the $72,300 would be funded from the undesignated Contingent Reserves account in the non-departmental budget; further, (14) $200,000 in FY 2001, to the Burke Branch Library for operational facilities costs for new library services in conjunction with the school facilities; further, (15) to approve $100,000, to fund a position relating to adolescent services, specifically relating to teen pregnancy in Alexandria. This funding is for salary, administrative support and operational funding, and that amount is $100,000; (16) to approve an increase in the amount of $15,000, for the Alexandria Commission for the Arts competitive grant program; (17) to approve a $10,000 increase in the Recreation Department's operating budget for tree maintenance and watering; (18) to approve a $50,000 increase in the budget for the Community Partnership Fund for Human Services, the competitive grant award pool. This would increase the grant award budget from $800,000 to $850,000 for programs providing human service needs to Alexandrians who are school-age or older. The appropriation from Fund Balance that would be necessary to balance the FY 2001 Budget, as amended, would be a revenue of $2,921,512, which figure incorporates the Manager's recommendation of an appropriation of $1,771,512; adopt the FY 2001 General Fund budget, as amended, in the following amounts: Total expenditures of $320,046,912 with an equal amount in total revenues of $320,046,912, which also includes a General Fund appropriation to the Alexandria City Public Schools of $98,780,870.

Mayor Donley stated that the balancing appropriation as Councilman Speck has indicated was $2,921,512. In addition, as a point of clarification on the motion, the additions for the teen pregnancy position, the Community Partnership Fund increase, the increase for the Commission for the Arts, and the increase for tree maintenance, the funding source for those is a combination of revenue adjustments and fund balance appropriations.

THEREUPON, Councilwoman Pepper moved to amend the pending motion to: (1) delete funding in the amount of $200,000 for converting the Burke Branch Library for joint use as a branch library and community learning center; (2) to add funding in the amount of $540,000 for reopening the Burke Branch Library for sole use as a branch library; (3) to delete funding in the amount of $540,000 from cash capital funding for the CIP; and (4) increase the City Manager's proposed designation for capital projects by an additional $540,000, with a corresponding decrease in the undesignated fund balance, to ensure full funding for capital projects; which motion was seconded by Councilman Cleveland and which motion FAILED on a vote of 2 "ayes" to 5 "nays".

Council returned to discussion on the main motion on the operating budget; which motion passed on a vote of 6-to-1, Councilman Cleveland voting "no".

WHEREUPON, a motion was made by Councilman Speck, seconded by Council Member Walker to move adoption of the FY 2001 to FY 2006 Capital Improvement Program with the additional expenditure for the Burke Branch Library will be in the FY 2001 Capital Improvement Program in the amount of $1,200,000 to be funded through an increase in the designation for capital funding from General Fund fund balance, with a corresponding decrease in undesignated fund balance. This proposal enables the City to remain within Council's adopted debt ratios; which motion passed on a vote of 6-to-1, Councilman Cleveland voting "no".
Council Action:_______________________________________________________________

3. Second Reading and Final Passage of AN ORDINANCE to establish the real estate and personal property tax rates for calendar year 2000. (#3 4/10/00, #13 3/28/00)

City Council finally passed the Ordinance upon its Second Reading and Final Passage with no increase in the tax rates. ORD. NO. 4131
Council Action:_______________________________________________________________

The Meeting was adjourned at 8:18 p.m.

CITIZEN'S GUIDE

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