Action Docket for Special Meeting (05/07/2007)

Office of the City Clerk
May 8, 2007

Special Meeting
Monday, May 7, 2007 - - 7:00 p.m.

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OPENING

1. Calling the Roll.

The meeting was called to order by Mayor Euille, and the City Clerk called the roll; all the members of City Council were present.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER FOR DISCUSSION

2. Consideration of the Proposed Annual Operating Budget for FY 2008 (including Schools) and the Proposed Capital Improvements Program for FY 2008-2013 (including the Schools CIP.)

City Council adopted the FY 2008 general fund operating budget overall expenditure levels of $519,494,732 and revenue levels of $519,494,732, which represent a 4.38% increase over the FY 2007 operating budget and reflect: a City government general fund operating budget of $359,255,035, which incorporates $61,437 in technical city expenditure adjustment and $5,796,000 in net City expenditure increases from the FY 2008 proposed budget as specified in docket item #2, section I and represents a 3.3% increase over the adjusted FY 2007 City government operating budget.

Technical expenditure re-estimates to proposed budget

$30,087 Animal Welfare League contract inflationary increase
$(26,917) Commonwealth's Attorney impact of increase in State revenue
$(12,791) Other Public Safety decrease in required supplement for Adult Probation
and parole
$(26,742) Health Department withdrawn supplemental request
$(11,000) Court Service Unit increase in State revenues
$123,800 DHS increase in Comprehensive Services Act (CSA) funding - Budget
memo #57
$(15,000) Cash Capital decrease
$61,437 Total Technical Expenditure Adjustments

Changes to Proposed City General Fund Operating Budget Expenditures

$2,770,000 1.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for City employees (after eliminating the Q-step) Budget memo #'s 19, 20, 21, 34 and 61
$877,000 DHS Programs (add to contingent reserves) - Budget memo #13
$780,000 Red Light Programs - Budget memo #24
$80,000 100 year-old buildings study - Budget memo #47
$75,000 Inventory of Alexandria Global Warming Emissions
$65,000 Sheriff (Deputy Sheriff Position) - Budget memo #54
$240,000 Sheriff Deputy Position Reclassification - Budget memo #54
$49,000 Environmental Action Plan Efforts
$900,000 Transportation Improvements - Budget memo #53
$(40,000) Decrease in Funds to Contingent Reserves
$5,796,000 Net City Expenditure Increases and Reductions

City Council transferred to the Schools of $160,239,697 from the general fund to the school operating fund, which reflects a 6.9 percent increase over the FY 2007 general fund transfer, as well as incorporates a $4,739,697 addition to the FY 2008 proposed general fund as specified in docket item #2, section I:

Change in Proposed Transfer to Alexandria City Public Schools Operating Budget

$2,650,000 Increase in the General Fund transfer to the Alexandria Schools Operating Budget (FY 2008 proposed Operating Budget, p. 9-3 and Budget memos #12, 16, 29 and 71)
$2,089,697 1.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for School Employees
$4,739,697 Total Schools Transfer

City Council adopted a COLA of 1.5 percent for City and School Employees, including the City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk, Clerk of the Court, Commonwealth Attorney, and for City Council Aides and the Mayor's Aides, and approval of merit step increases for all eligible employees.

Council adopted an increase in FY 2008 revenues of $10,597,134, which includes $3,500,000 in added revenues due to re-estimates; $5,069,718 due to a real estate rate increase of 1.5 cents to 83.0 cents per $100 per assessed value; and $2,027,416 in other tax and fee adjustments, as specified in docket item #2, section II

Technical Revenue Re-estimate to the Proposed Budget (Budget memo #33)

$1,900,000 Increase in Real Property Tax Revenue estimate
$1,700,000 Increase in estimate of Intergovernmental Revenues
$300,000 Increase in Transient Lodging Tax Revenue estimate
$200,000 Increase in estimate of interest income on General Fund investments
($200,000) Decrease in estimate of Bank Franchise Fee Revenue
($200,000) Decrease in estimate of Restaurant Food Tax Revenue
($200,000) Decrease in estimate of Sale of Impound Lot Vehicles Revenue
$3,500,000 Sub-total FY 2008 Technical Revenue Re-estimate

Changes in Proposed Tax and Fee Rates and New Revenues

$5,069,718 Increase in real estate tax revenues due to 1.5 cent tax rate increase effective for both payments in FY 2008
$180,000 Increase administrative fees for delinquent personal property tax
collection
$200,000 Eliminate tax exemption for Federal employees that use hotels and pay
directly
$900,000 Start new State vehicle registration fee - Budget memo #53
$750,000 Red light camera revenues - Budget memo #24
$(2,584) Reduction to balance the budget in non-tax revenue
$7,097,134 Total Increase in Tax and Fee Rates and New Revenues

A change in reservations of proposed Council contingent reserves as specified in docket item #2 section IV

Changes and Reservations of Proposed Council Contingent Reserves

$375,000 Contingent reserves in the proposed budget
$837,000 Net amount added by Council Member adds
$(90,000) Gang Prevention Coordinator (Budget memo #22)
$(877,000) DHS set aside (Budget memo #13)
$(130,000) Net Reduction in Undesignated Contingent Reserves

A FY 2008 transfer to the Capital Projects Fund of $9,765,564, which reflects $885,000 in net additions to the FY 2008 Proposed CIP, as specified in docket item #2 section VI.

Council moved adoption of the FY 2008 to FY 2013 Capital Improvement Program totalling $389,050,427 which, when compared to the FY 2008 to FY 2013 Proposed CIP, reflects an addition of $5,685,000 over six years and establishes planned funding levels for each of the six years of the capital plan. This motion reflects the addition of $900,000 per year for transportation capital improvements and a $15,000 technical downward re-estimate for FY 2008 only. The adopted totals in the CIP will be $66,125,350 in FY 2008 and $900,000 more than the proposed budget in fiscal years 2009 through 2013.

Changes in proposed Capital Improvement Program (CIP)

$5,400,000 Transfer for Transportation Capital Improvements to be funded by Vehicle Registration Fee Increase ($900,000 per year) (Budget memo #53)
$(15,000) Technical Expenditure Adjustments (Budget memo #32)
$5,385,000 Total changes in Proposed CIP

Adopted Proposed
FY2008 $66,125,350 $64,940,350
FY2009 $101,053,243 $100,153,243
FY2010 $100,230,672 $99,330,672
FY2011 $49,171,320 $48,271,320
FY2012 $35,370,311 $34,470,311
FY2013 $37,099,532 $36,199,531

Council moved changes in the proposed General Fund Unreserved Fund Balance Designations, resulting in the addition of $2,175,000, as specified in docket item #2, Section III.

Changes in Proposed Fund Balance Designations

Designated
$400,000 National Harbor-related
$ - Other Post-Employment Benefits
$850,000 FY 2007 CIP Artificial Turf Field - Budget memo #'s 52 and 68 (revised from docket item)
$500,000 CSA Designation of Fund Balance
$300,000 FY2008 CIP Trash Cans/Lights (revised from docket item)
$25,000 King Street Garden
$100,000 City Trees
$2,175,000 Designated Total

Undesignated
$342,504 Estimated Contribution to Undesignated Fund Balance in FY 2008
$342,504 Undesignated Total
$2,517,504 Estimated Changes in Fund Balance (as of the end of FY 2007)
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS

3. Second Reading and Final Passage of an Ordinance to Establish the Real Estate and Personal Property Tax Rates for Calendar Year 2007. (#19 and 20, 4/24/07 and #16, 4/10/07) [ROLL-CALL VOTE]

City Council adopted the ordinance to establish the real estate and personal property tax rates for calendar year 2007 at $.830 on each $100 of assessed value. (ORD. 4477)
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

4. Consideration of a Resolution to Set the Residential Refuse Fee for the FY 2008 Budget. [ROLL-CALL VOTE]

City Council passed the resolution to set the residential refuse fee for the FY 2008 budget at $264 per household, to continue the City's policy of 100 percent cost recovery of the full cost of residential refuse collection and disposal. (RES. NO. 2226)
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

The meeting adjourned at 7:46 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.

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 alexandriava.gov/council

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