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Office of the City Clerk
April 30, 2003

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


Special Meeting -- REVISED DOCKET
Tuesday, April 29, 2003 - - 7:30 p.m.


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Please take notice that the City Council held a Special Meeting [Budget Adoption] on Tuesday, April 29, 2003, 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 2004 (including Schools) and The Proposed Capital Improvements Program for FY 2004-2009 (including the School CIP). (#2 4/2/03; #8 3/11/03)

City Council adopted the Manager's proposed Budget of expenditures levels of $398,623,187, revenue levels of $392,039,586, and the Manager's proposed Capital Improvement Program of $327,740,715 with the following amendments: The first group of amendments are revenue adjustments. (1) Real Property Tax Revenues increase $1,000,000; (2) Business License Tax Revenue increase $800,000; (3) Sanitary Sewer Fees increase $600,000; (4) Recordation Taxes increase $400,000; (5) Use of Money and Property, (i.e., the interest rate earnings on investments) decrease $1,200,000; (6) Meals Sales Tax decrease $300,000; (7) Senior and Disabled Tax Relief decrease $200,000, (the effect of a decrease on the revenue is an increase in the program); (8) Real Property Net Tax Rate Reduction of 2.5 cents which is a decrease of $4,880,000, this is in addition to the City Manager's proposed reduction of 3 cents; The next group of amendments are expenditure adjustments; (9) the WMATA Subsidy decrease $600,000; (10) Reduction in Cash Capital for Sewers as a result of the increased Sanitary Sewer Fees decrease $500,000; (11) the Alexandria City Public Schools' Appropriation decrease $900,000 noting the increased State aid of $670,000 (the net reduction to the Public School Appropriation is $230,000); (12) Reduction in City and ACPS COLA funding to 2% decrease $700,000; (13) Community Partnership Fund increase $124,500; Day Care Home Providers Compensation increase $200,000; (14) Meals on Wheels to go to the Department of Human Services increase $20,000; (15) Street Trash Can Match Program increase $10,000; (16) Burke Library for additional books increase $15,500; (16) Traffic Calming for the Central Alexandria area, Janneys, Seminary, Quaker area, increase $50,000; (17) Overall City Funding Reduction decrease $1,500,000 (noting that the City Manager may account for this reduction through personnel, non-personnel, cash capital adjustments, or other accounts, and he will report back to the Council in June regarding these changes.) Further, this motion includes the following designations in Contingent Reserves: (18) $245,000 for the Campagna Center After-School program subject to further staff analysis of retention and recruitment issues related to compensation; (19) $75,000 for consultants for the Planning Department to conduct further area plans as recommended by the City Manager. These designations are made understanding that further Council action is required prior to appropriation. Further, this motion includes: (20) Approval of a COLA of 2% for City employees, including the City Manager, City Attorney and City Clerk; (21) Approval of merit-in-step increases for all eligible employees; (22) Approval of an increase of employer share of health care benefits; (23) Approval of an increase in funding for the City Supplemental Retirement Plan; (24) Approval of an increase in the employer share of life insurance benefits; (25) Incorporation of savings in replacement cycle for desktop computers; The proposed amendments result in an appropriation from Fund Balance in the amount of $6,583,601 which was the Manager's recommendation. Further, I move adoption of the FY 2004 to FY 2009 Capital Improvement Program as proposed by the City Manager with the following changes: (26) Increase in cash capital for the Open Space Trust Fund: (a) in FY 2004 $2,905,000 (which includes funds collected in prior years); (b) FY 2005 $2,029,000; (c) FY 2006 $2,110,000; (d) FY 2007 $2,194,000; (e) FY 2008 $2,283,000; (f) FY 2009 $2,374,000; (27) Increase in cash capital for traffic calming in the Central Alexandria area, Janneys, Seminary, Quaker, of $50,000 as noted previously; (28) transfer of $200,000 from the proposed Open Space allocation for preliminary planning and design work for the Charles Houston and the Patrick Henry Recreation Centers. The elements of this motion are premised on a Real Property Tax rate of $1.025 and Personal Property Tax rate of $4.75, with $.01 cent of the Real Property Tax rate being hereby assigned and appropriated for the cash capital contribution for Open Space acquisition and preservation. The net effect will be a tax rate of $1.035, .045 cents lower than the current rate.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

3. Second Reading and Final Passage of AN ORDINANCE to establish real estate and personal property tax rates for calendar year 2003, to establish the City of Alexandria Open Space Trust Fund Account, and to designate $0.01 out of the real property tax rate to fund such Account. (#21(b) 4/22/03; #24 3/25/03) [ROLL-CALL VOTE] [Revised Language]


With respect to the Open Space Trust Fund, Councilman Speck requested the City Manager to come back to Council with some additional recommendations on how we want to involve the community and begin to make some of the decisions on how this will actually be implemented.

City Council finally passed the ordinance with the following changes: that the tax rate will be $1.035, and those changes will be noted on both line 32 of page 1, and line 28 of page 2, simply to correct the previously filed tax rate. ORD. NO. 4296
Council Action:_________________________________________________________







4. Second Reading and Final Passage of AN ORDINANCE to amend the provisions of Title 3, Chapter 2 of the City Code, relating to real estate tax relief, as amended on April 22, 2003. (#22 4/22/03; #22 4/8/03; #15 2/11/03) [ROLL-CALL VOTE] [Revised Language]

City Council finally passed the ordinance, as amended, with the deletion of Division 2 as noted on Page 7 of the proposed ordinance. ORD. NO. 4297 Council Action:____________________________________________________

The Meeting was adjourned at 8:25 p.m.
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Note: The action docket is a summary of Council's meeting deliberations prepared largely for staff follow-up. Formal Minutes of the meeting, when approved by Council, become the official record of the meeting and of Council decisions made at the meeting.
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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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Individuals with disabilities who require assistance or special arrangements to participate in the City Council meeting may call the City Clerk and Clerk of Council's Office at 838-4500 (TTY/TDD 838-5056). We request that you provide a 48-hour notice so that the proper arrangements may be made.
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Individuals who require translation services to participate in the City Council meeting may call the City Clerk and Clerk of Council's Office at 838-4500. We request that you provide a 48-hour notice so that the proper arrangements may be made.
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