THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, June 8, 1995 TAG: 9506080422
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MAC DANIEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Short : 40 lines
The City Council on Wednesday night narrowly approved an operating budget for 1995-96 that includes the largest increase in firefighters since Nansemond County and the city merged in 1974.
Eleven firefighters will be added, three of them for the Holland Volunteer Fire Company, an area that has been continually short-handed.
The budget, approved on a 4-3 vote, also includes money for several new police officers.
The city plans to spend $50,000 a year over the next three years to market itself.
This represents the first time since the ``Surprising Suffolk'' campaign that Suffolk has actively promoted itself.
City Manager Myles E. Standish said the $117.9 million budget emphasizes public safety, economic development and infrastructure for private investment.
``As long as the council is pleased with the budget and what it intends to do, I guess I'm pleased,'' Standish said.
Just before the council appeared ready to approve the budget, Vice Mayor Curtis Milteer suggested a tax cut.
His idea was shot down.
``We're in a growth mode,'' said Mayor S. Chris Jones.
``We've got more demands placed on us every day. We've got to invest in the infrastructure,'' Jones said.
Before approving the budget, the council trimmed $285,000 from it - including $32,000 from reducing a proposed 4 percent raise for city employees to 3.8 percent. by CNB