THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 9, 1995 TAG: 9504080086
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 116 lines
SUFFOLK - With no sleight of hand, City Manager Myles E. Standish proposes to increase the city's spending by nearly $8 million during 1995-96 without increasing taxes.
If adopted, the municipal budget would jump from about $110.3 million this year to $118.2 million. The plan would fund 29 new employees, while cutting two positions, and provide for improved services.
The city is growing, Standish said, and he believes the new development would finance the proposed increase. The city plans to reap profits from a race track planned for northern Suffolk by imposing a 10 percent admissions tax.
But water and sewer fees would go up 3 percent to keep pace with inflation. Under the plan, the average homeowner would pay about $1.23 more a month for utilities.
Standish, who was named city manager last fall, presented his first budget to the City Council last week.
As the city grows and inflation continues, the cost of financing city services escalates. For instance, in 1985, city officials considered a $47 million spending plan, while five years ago the fiscal proposal was $80.9 million.
This is from the city manager's budget message to the City Council:
THE RECOMMENDED Operating Budget for fiscal year 1995-96 is in the amount of $118,218,816, an estimated 7 percent increase over the current fiscal year. No increases in any tax rates are recommended; expenditures are balanced within a natural growth in revenues, primarily from new development that has, and will continue to occur within the City.
The budget document is specifically formatted to illustrate previous, current and proposed fiscal years as clearly as possible. General Fund revenue and expenditure summary information is presented first, followed by the same information for the other funds. Proposed expenditure detail, with the prior two years' budget information, is shown for all funds.
The recommended budget contains a number of improvements in services, primarily in fire fighting, law enforcement, animal control and parks. In addition, a number of new initiatives are proposed to further enhance services to the community, foster commercial and industrial development, and strengthen the City's financial stability as well as its ability to serve the public.
Additional appendices outline recommended changes in fees or charges, a summary of new positions and new detail, grant-funded positions.
The City's annual budget is the document that charts priorities, and for Fiscal Year 1995-96, the priorities are improved services to the community, careful financial management, and economic development.
The recommended budget attempts to achieve the Council's goal of providing the resources that will allow City departments to provide continuing and enhanced services to the citizens of Suffolk without increasing taxes.
The budget document contains significant detail.
A public hearing is set for April 19. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
Staff charts by Mal Thornhill
Charts show a breakdown of the Suffolk budget. If adopted, the
municipal budget would jump from about $110.3 million this year to
$118.2 million.
Expenditures
Revenues
For copy of charts, see microfilm
NEW POSITIONS
Fire Department: 9 firefighters, $202,005.
Police: 3 police officers (about 75 percent funding by federal
COPS AHEAD program) $70,389; 1 evidence technician, $22,445; 1
animal shelter manager, $15,316.
Communications: 3 communications operators, $58,167.
Parks, Recreation and Facility Management: 1 park ranger,
$17,352.
Finance: 1 financial analyst, $30,591.
Assistant City Manager: 1 deputy city clerk/executive secretary,
$20,408.
Data Processing Fund: 1 programmer analyst, $30,591.
Fleet Management Fund: 1 fleet support administrator, $26,517;
radio and electronics supervisor, $32,483; 1 service writer,
$16,334; 1 stock room clerk, $16,334.
Public Utilities Fund: Line maintenance technician, $26,517; 1
operator in training, $19,389; 1 civil engineer, $35,682; 1
construction inspector, $24,481.
Positions Deleted - Assessor: 1 Appraiser I, $23,550; 1 mapping
technician, $22,597.
TO REVIEW BUDGET
The budget may be examined at the following locations:
Circuit Court clerk's office, 441 Market St., 925-6450
East Suffolk Fire Department, 110 Walnut St., 925-5600
Bennetts Creek Library Station, 2897 Bridge Road, 483-0814
Butler's Store, 4084 Godwin Blvd., 255-4472
Holland Fire Station, 6666 O'Kelly Drive, 657-6417
Whaleyville Volunteer Fire Department, 6235 Whaleyville Blvd.,
986-3300
The Chamber of Commerce, 1001 W. Washington St., 539-2111
Chuckatuck Library Station, 5881 Godwin Blvd., 255-0919
Morgan Memorial Library, 443 W. Washington St., 934-7686
Village Drugs, 108 Kings Highway, 255-4561
Driver Variety Store, 3056 Kings Highway, 538-1229
Library Bookmobile, for schedule, call 934-7686
Chevron Food Mart (formerly Boone's Trading Post), 1600 Bridge
Road, 238-3724
Metropolitan Credit Union, 129 County St., 934-3291
Senior Citizen's Service Center, 350 N. Main St., 925-6388
FEE CHANGES
Admissions tax: new, 10 percent of gross receipts.
Water service fee: from 2.73 to 2.81 per 1,000 gallons.
Sewer service fee: from 1.39 to 1.43 per 100 cublic feet.
KEYWORDS: SUFFOLK BUDGET PROPOSED by CNB