Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 11, 1995 TAG: 9505110061
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KIMBERLY N. MARTIN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
City Manager Randy Smith had proposed the rate increase to pay for Salem's share of renovations to the regional sewage treatment plant. The city's portion, to be funded by bonds, is about $9.9 million.
But council opted to phase in part of the increase and appoint a committee to study how to raise the remainder of the funds.
Starting in July, the average monthly sewer bill will go up $1.75, instead of the proposed $3.50.
Mayor Jim Taliaferro said the decision to start with a 19 percent increase in July, instead of the full 37.5 percent needed to pay off the bonds, was not influenced by the 20-some citizens who showed up at Monday night's meeting.
That meeting was a stark contrast to Tuesday night's, where only a handful of spectators - most of them city employees - watched as council waded through a budget notebook as thick as a textbook.
Monday night, however, Salem's council chamber was more packed than a Baptist church on Easter Sunday.
Salem resident and longtime government watchdog Aaron Smith had rallied the troops and supplied the bright yellow laminated "Sewer Rate Increase Not Needed" badges that were sprinkled throughout the audience.
And they were a determined bunch - waiting out a 21/2-hour parade of representatives of community service organizations, who were on hand to ask for a slice of the city's budget pie.
Annie Braisted said she wasn't leaving until she could speak "her piece," and she did.
Ever since a power surge from construction on the city's new baseball stadium fried her TV, telephone, answering machine and stereo last November, Braisted has vowed to keep a closer watch on council.
"The stadium has been a sore in my side since the surge. I have nothing against sports, but everything has got to be sports. I understand that sports bring revenue, but in the meantime, who's paying for it?" Braisted said. "The surge woke me up and made me realize I had to speak up."
Although council kept its promise not to raise taxes, Braisted cited the proposed sewer rate increase and the $4,000 increase in the assessment of her home. "They don't need to go up on our taxes," she said.
Taliaferro continued to shoulder the blame for the estimated $5.1 million cost overrun on the stadium. Council took the extra money out of the city's capital reserve fund.
"We're here to talk about the budget. The ballpark is a done deal," Taliaferro said. "If you want to blame someone, blame me."
Despite his proclamation, council couldn't escape mention of the ballpark's estimated $10.1 million price tag.
M.D. Long, who said he was proud to have been born and raised in Salem, was wearing one of Smith's badges when he stood at the microphone and addressed council.
"A good theme for the meeting tonight would be 'help me,' and I think a continuation of this theme is to 'help us.' The citizens of the city of Salem would like a little help," Long said. "If they found an additional $5 million to pay for the ballpark, then they might have some money in the fund to pay for that rate increase."
But Taliaferro said there's only about $3.8 million in unobligated funds in the city's capital reserves.
"Before this snafu at the stadium, it was $9 million, and we took $5 million out for the ballpark," he said.
Further dipping into the fund "could affect our bonding rate," said Councilman Sonny Tarpley, and that could mean the city would have to pay higher interest rates on general obligation bonds.
Despite what Councilman Alex Brown called "a tight" budget year, most of the human and community service agencies got what they asked for.
Of the requests, Blue Ridge Community Services, the Roanoke Convention and Visitors Bureau and Virginia Western Community College got the lion's share, receiving about $70,000, $25,000 and $24,000 respectively.
In total, the city will spend $548,732 on community service agencies. That includes agencies council makes annual appropriations to, such as the Salem Rescue Squad and Valley Metro. The rescue squad will receive about $91,000 in city funds and resources.
Spending on community service agencies ran over budget, forcing council to skim about $32,000 from the $601,166 in unappropriated funds for the 1995-96 fiscal year
For hours, council members looked for other places to make up the funds, threatening to shave personal computers and replacement vehicles from the city manager's proposed budget. But in the end, nothing else got red-lined from the $72 million budget.
Council members will hold another public hearing on the budget at their June 12 meeting before they vote on it.
by CNB