THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 24, 1996 TAG: 9604240397
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TONI WHITT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Short : 41 lines
Schools will get more money for maintenance, city employees and retirees will receive a 3-percent pay increase and businesses will pay less in stormwater fees under the 1996-97 operating budget that the City Council approved on Tuesday.
Fees for garbage collection will increase by $1 a month to cover an expected increase in fees by the Southeastern Public Service Authority. Rates for water and sewer service will increase slightly - an average of about $1.12 per month per household.
The new budget contains a promise to the schools that any unspent funds returned from the schools to the city will go back into the capital improvement plan for school maintenance.
In addition, the city has promised to match those funds up to $600,000.
The $258 million budget also includes a cut in stormwater fees by nearly 20 percent - a move that the city's Chamber of Commerce had lobbied for to help attract and retain businesses.
The reduction in stormwater fees means that the city will have to cut $223,000 in neighborhood projects and $278,000 that was to be used to draw up maps of stormwater drainage patterns that are required by the state and federal authorities.
The council also killed a proposed increase to the city's cigarette tax that had been opposed by convenience store owners and smokers.
City employees will get a recommended 3-percent pay increase. In addition, city retirees will get a one-time, 3-percent increase that had not been included in the budget.
The council also increased the city's contributions to the Portsmouth Area Resources Coalition shelter and to the EndependenceCenter.
KEYWORDS: PORTSMOUTH BUDGET by CNB