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Office of the City Clerk
May 8, 2001

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


Special Meeting
Monday, May 7, 2001 - - 7:30 p.m.


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Please take notice that the City Council held a Special Meeting [Budget Adoption] on Monday, May 7, 2001, 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

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 2002 (including Schools) and The Proposed Capital Improvements Program for FY 2002-2007 (including the Schools CIP). (# 2 4/17/01; #8 3/13/01)

City Council approved the City Manager's proposed FY 2002 General Fund Operating Budget with the following adjustments: (1) an increase of $400,000 in the estimate of General Fund Sales Tax Revenue, to reflect revised projections based on receipts through March 31, 2001, in the amount of $400,000; (2) an increase of $326,000 in the estimate of the Intergovernmental Revenues; (3) an increase of $300,000 in the estimate of General Fund Transient Lodging Revenue; (4) an increase of $100,000 in General Fund Restaurant Meals Tax Revenue; (5) a decrease of $1,000,000 in the estimate of the General Fund Business License Tax Revenue; (6) a decrease of $500,000 in the estimate of General Fund Personal Property Tax Revenue; (7) a decrease of $200,000 in the estimate of General Fund Penalties and Interest; (8) approve the 3 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for all City employees, including the City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk and City Council aides and the Mayor's aide; (9) approve merit in-step increases for all eligible City employees. The eligibility of the City Manager, City Attorney 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, and there is no net impact as those monies are included in the FY 2002 Proposed Budget; (10) approve an increase in the employer share of health care benefits for active and retired City employees (from $106.83 to $120.00 per month), and there is no net impact as those monies are included in the FY 2002 Proposed Budget; (11) approve a vacancy factor adjustment to be applied to most City agencies and Departments, and there is no net impact as those monies are included in the FY 2002 Proposed Budget; (12) approve an adjustment to reduce the employer share of Virginia Retirement System (VRS) for City employees based on calculations, and there is no net impact as that's included in the Proposed Budget; (13) add funding for expanded park maintenance services to include four full-time staff, seasonal staff and a half-ton truck, the amount is $250,000, and that is [added to] Contingent Reserves; (14) [approve a designation of] $50,000 in Contingent Reserves for a feasibility study and start-up costs for a non-City teen center for 9th - 12th graders; (15) [approve a designation] in Contingent Reserves of $150,000 to create a subsidy to child day care provider maximum reimbursable rates. Funds to be used only if, and to the extent that, the State does not allow an increase in rates to those approved by the State for Arlington; (16) add $20,000 [to Cash Capital] for lighting along the paved pathway from the end of North Pickett Street to the Beatley Bridge (Holmes Run). This would [also] be an addition to the CIP; (17) add $50,000 into Contingent Reserves for the Alexandria Academy; (18) add $82,000 in additional funding for the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association; (19) add $35,000 in funding to be used to purchase replacement street trash cans; (20) add $35,000 in funding for a tractor with finish mower for the West End parks maintenance; (21) add $150,000 for Planning and Zoning for professional contract services for additional planning studies; (22) a designation in Contingent Reserves of $71,000 for an additional Urban Planner II position in Planning and Zoning; (23) add $35,000 to the Commission for the Arts for additional funding for Grant awards; (24) add $200,000 to the employer's share of health care benefits for retired City employees; (25) add $9,000 for Chinquapin Rec Center Saturday Youth Nights for Middle School students; (26) add $65,000 to enhance Therapeutic Recreation Mainstream programs; (27) add $400,000 to Contingent Reserves to be used for funding costs of school enrollment, if needed, if that enrollment exceeds the planned and budgeted 11,637 students; [Note: Although First Night is not a specific item, Council has stated its desire to have First Night appear before the Marketing Committee for its request for support, but if that is unsuccessful to return to Council.]; (28) delete $300,000 from the City Health Insurance contingent. Those savings are attributable to favorable contract negotiations with the City Health insurance carriers; and (29) delete $499,000 from the planned City subsidy of Metrobus and Metrorail for FY 2002. The decrease is attributable to higher than expected State transit and gas taxes received through the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission. [Approve a deletion from the General Fund appropriation to the Schools due to lower VRS contribution rates in the amount of $1,100,000.] Those are all of the adds and deletes. The appropriation from Fund Balance is to make an appropriation from General Fund Balance necessary to balance the FY 2002 Budget, and that would be in the amount of $3,506,000. That would then result with the Manager's Fund Balance appropriation of total expenditures of $349,357,820 and a corresponding amount for revenues. That also includes a General Fund appropriation to the Alexandria City Public Schools of $107,269,189. Then to the adoption of the FY 2002 to FY 2007 Capital Improvement Program, that recommendation would be for the proposed five-year period a total of $197,306,214 with the following annual funding requirements: FY 2002 - $53,527,463; FY 2003 - $47,741,939; FY 2004 - $34,470,315; FY 2005 - $34,115,402; FY 2006 - $14,820,080; FY 2007 - $12,631,015.

Mayor Donley asked Councilman Speck if the General Fund appropriation to the Alexandria City Public Schools was $107,269,189?

Councilman Speck responded that figure reflects that there was a VRS adjustment of 1.1 million dollars that will not be required as an appropriation by the City to the schools as a result of the VRS adjustment.

Mayor Donley stated that this basically reduces their expenditures. They will still, with this appropriation, be able to fund all items in their budget.


Councilman Speck responded that Council is not cutting the schools' budget but just reflecting that they had that increased appropriation.

Mayor Donley noted that when Councilman Speck mentioned the $71,000 for an Urban Planner II, he called that an add, and it should be a designation of Fund Balance. Mayor Donley wanted to clarify the intent. Mayor Donley indicated that Mr. Speck said add, but it should be a designation in Contingent Reserves.

Councilman Speck indicated that Mayor Donley was correct in his interpretation.

Councilwoman Pepper wanted to make sure that when Councilman Speck spoke to item no. 20, the funding for a tractor with finish mower for the West End parks maintenance, that he said $35,000 and not $30,000.

Councilman Speck stated it should be $35,000.

There was Council discussion on the motion.

City Council passed the above motion unanimously.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

3. Second Reading and Final Passage of AN ORDINANCE to establish the real estate and personal property tax rates for calendar year 2001. (#3 4/17/01; #19 3/27/00)

City Council finally passed the ordinance upon its Second Reading and Final Passage. ORD. NO. 4196
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

New Business Item No. 1: Mayor Donley requested the City Manager to report back on the following:


This docket is subject to change.

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Full-text copies of ordinances, resolutions, and agenda items are available in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of the Council. Meeting materials are also available on-line at https://alexandriava.gov/council.
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