Tonight (Thursday, October 30) at City Hall at 7 PM, the Council will hold a public hearing on the upcoming FY 2009 budget, including cuts being proposed to make up for a projected $10.5 million revenue shortfall.The source of the problem: falling real estate values.
The picture is even more grim next year, when City Manager Jim Hartmann anticipates a $35 million revenue shortfall. "The City has not faced a budget decline of this magnitude in decades,” he notes.
Normally this annual preliminary hearing on the budget would bring out droves of PTA parents pressing for more funding for the school district, historic preservationists arguing for more money for Alexandria's historic buildings and museums, and child care providers begging the City to fill gaps in Federal funding for disadvantaged families.
However, the Growler rather imagines there won't be too many speakers that bravely approach the podium tonight to throw their own pet projects on the pyre.
We need to remember that Alexandria's budget is precariously dependent on property taxes, which account for more than 50% of its revenue.
But also keep in mind that under the Democratic hegemony now controlling the City, the budget was allowed to nearly double in size in the last six or seven years, ballooning as the real estate bubble matured and spiraled out of control.
As the Growler has asked before, do those of us who were living here in 2000 feel that the spending spree has really changed our quality of life that substantially or even measurably? Can we live without some of what has been added in recent years?
Another interesting facet of this issue is whether the City's own policies are making the crisis worse. The school system is currently being overwhelmed by an unexpected tsunami of new pupils, not due to a sudden population explosion in Alexandria but attributable to the wave of Hispanic families moving to Alexandria from Fairfax and Prince William Counties.
Did they land here because of the foreclosure crisis in the other jurisdictions and if so was this due to Alexandria's open-armed embrace? It's one thing to be quietly sympathetic to the plight of the illegals (which the Growler most certainly is) but another thing entirely to light a public beacon to guide them all here.
Although the school district was exempt from significant cuts in the first budget go-round, can it escape the inevitable?
One short-term solution to the crisis would be to raise property taxes by as much as 10%. This would certainly be a measure of desperation, with Council elections looming in the spring of 2009.
Are there other alternatives? If you were in charge, where would you make the cuts?
50 comments:
Public housing.
- and consultant fees.
Is there a link you can post for last years budget? I'm having a hard time finding it on the City's Website. I'd love to play Mr. Mayor and see what I would cut out
Reduced Security Guard Hours
For the remainder of FY09 security services will be reduced by 96% from 104 hours per week to 5 hours per week. The mostly eliminated presence and support of a uniformed officer, will affect staff morale, which is already low due to the threat of budget cuts and the soft hiring freeze. The security guard reduction will also negatively impact the sense of security felt by both staff and patrons. Actual services provided by the library will not be affected, except as they are impacted by the diminishing staff morale and staff time spent dealing with various incidents.
The Library will consider rotating the guards among the branches if the guard service is able to accommodate. The Library estimates that on average the Alexandria Police Department are called once or twice a month at each facility resulting in an estimate of between 4 and 8 calls per month for the entire system. There may be clusters of calls within a one or two month time period, followed by a few months with no calls. The Library estimates that calls to the police department could double or even triple.
Really?? Maybe if they stop letting all the homeless people use the library as their own personal house, this would never have been a problem in the first place?
Benefits and Records - Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers is a health and weight loss program for employees. Currently the City pays 75% of participants registration fee but at the beginning of the next enrollment cycle this percent will be reduced to 50%. This will result in a savings for the City of $4,900. It is expected that the score of employees satisfied with the City’s efforts to promote health and wellness will be lower. FY08 score was 3.8 on a scale from 1 to 5 (five meaning extremely satisfied).
Make ARHA pay their loans back by selling their land and abolishing and outdated rule of segregation.
It's curious that they expect such a big shortfall even though home prices in Alexandria are down less than 5% from a year ago.
That said, I hope that the city is looking at increasing public safety patrols for next year. It's well-known that crime goes up in times of economic duress. Already we've seen that in PG and environs -- 2 muggings in daylight in the past 2 weeks between the Braddock metro and Jefferson-Houston. Not to mention that car thefts are way up in the past month in our broader area.
Can the Growler shed any light on the uptick in crime?
Maybe they need to look at the revenue side....and ask themselves why more than 50% of their revenue comes from property taxes....
Growler, are they still planning to outlay 6.4 million dollars to build 16 spanking new units for Bland residents?
Try explaining that one to the unions Euielle....
Whose decision was it to provide 36 "residents" 2714 days of substance abuse treatment at a cost of nearly 1 million dollars?
Its these types of social service decisions that get us into budgetary trouble. Now people feel entitled to these types of services, and when you have to cut them or take them away, people start complaining that we are not a "diverse" or "sensitive" community.
"As the Growler has asked before, do those of us who were living here in 2000 feel that the spending spree has really changed our quality of life that substantially or even measurably? Can we live without some of what has been added in recent years?"
NO, that was a message made loud and clear in the Braddock Metro planning process. What change in quality of life has resulted in this area from all this increased taxation and revenue?
And still they play games and tricks...now they want to take 1/2 of the developer contributions and allocate that to Resolution 830 resiting. I guess the other half goes to "improvements".
What needs to be cut is not dollars but the mentality that Alexandria is everyone elses brothers keeper. We are already WAY TOO compassionate. There is a difference between "we care" and "take advantage of us"
So the library needs security guards? What does that say about Bill Euielles Alexandria?
Why the heck would the police need to come to the library? What type of incidents occur there?
What effect does this belt tightening have on ARHA? Will the City still be willing to give them whatever they want to continue their failed policies
I would think the City would have a hard time justifying further loans when they have to cut 35 million from the budget next year or raise taxes....I am not sure many Delrayites want their taxes raised so Melvin can get another bailout.
"Another interesting facet of this issue is whether the City's own policies are making the crisis worse."
Well gee, loaning a non-accountable state agency nearly 8 million dollars rather than simply forcing them to sell their existing property or foreclose on it to pay their debts themselves would seem to be a policy that makes this financial crisis worse.
Thats 8 million that cant be borrowed for something else. Guess the poor West Enders wont get their all sport facility.
YOUR MAYOR HAS SPOKEN:
http://www.alextimes.com/article.asp?article=11045&paper=1&cat=143
"My View / Hon. Mayor Bill Euille - In Response: The City’s Commitment to Affordable Housing
October 30, 2008
Mayor Bill Euille
Your October 23 editorial, “Our View–History Repeats Itself,” referred to the Chatham Square project and the recently approved Braddock East Master Plan in ways that did not recognize Alexandria’s long-standing commitments to public housing and our approach to public housing redevelopment.
First and foremost, the editorial did not discuss Alexandria’s one-for-one replacement policy for public housing. At Chatham Square, the former Samuel Madden (Downtown) public housing development, 52 of the original public housing units were replaced on site, and all 48 of the remaining units were replaced with newly constructed units on three other sites throughout the city. Similarly, the Braddock East Master Plan mentioned in your editorial also calls for one-for-one replacement as the public housing in that area is redeveloped. The James Bland redevelopment plan, which was approved along with the Braddock East Plan but not mentioned in your editorial, calls for the on-site replacement of most of the existing James Bland and James Bland addition units — 134 out of 194 — and for the relocation of the remaining 60 units to other sites: 44 to Glebe Park, and 16 to a location still to be determined. This one-for-one replacement is in accordance with City Council’s visionary policy originally adopted 36 years ago.
In addition, the editorial did not recognize the benefits afforded by the approach taken by the city and the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority with Chatham Square, Braddock East, and the Quaker Hill (the former Cameron Valley public housing complex) communities. Current national policy, as evidenced by one of the stated key elements of HUD’s very successful HOPE VI program for the redevelopment of public housing, focuses on the “lessening concentrations of poverty by placing public housing in nonpoverty neighborhoods and promoting mixed-income communities.” As noted in the Braddock Metro Neighborhood Plan, “mixed-income housing produces physical, economic, and social benefits and is now deemed–on an international level–to be rational public policy and effective social and urban planning, making better communities for everyone.” Preserving public housing through the creation of reinvigorated, mixed-income communities has worked for the city in the past, and is the model the city plans to use in the future.
— Bill Euille
Mayor, City of Alexandria"
"This one-for-one replacement is in accordance with City Council’s visionary policy originally adopted 36 years ago."
Well, at least we now get official confirmation that the whole BEAG was a sham....
This is our mayor.....
"As noted in the Braddock Metro Neighborhood Plan, “mixed-income housing produces physical, economic, and social benefits and is now deemed–on an international level–to be rational public policy and effective social and urban planning, making better communities for everyone.”
As noted on the $^#&@ street, WE ARE GETTING ROBBED AND MUGGED MR. MAYOR
"Current national policy, as evidenced by one of the stated key elements of HUD’s very successful HOPE VI program for the redevelopment of public housing, focuses on the “lessening concentrations of poverty by placing public housing in nonpoverty neighborhoods and promoting mixed-income communities.” As noted in the Braddock Metro Neighborhood Plan, “mixed-income housing produces physical, economic, and social benefits and is now deemed–on an international level–to be rational public policy and effective social and urban planning, making better communities for everyone.”
It's funny how he's so proud of himself for Bland and deconcentrating public housing. Yet, as part of the Bland project, the City Council unanimously approved putting 134 units of public housing BACK into an area already HIGHLY concentrated with public housing. Most of the remaining units will be put into another area already concentrated with public housing (i.e. Glebe).
"Why the heck would the police need to come to the library? What type of incidents occur there?"
As a very frequent user of the Queen Street library, let me tell you: First, the library serves as a gathering spot for kids from the ARHA properties. Some are trying to study. But many are just there waiting to use the computers, and there are not enough to go around which causes problems. Many of the kids are young and unsupervised. I've heard that librarians have had to tell parents that they are not babysitters or daycare providers. Also, fights frequently break out amonst the teenagers and profanity is very common.
The Queen Street library also serves as the daytime hang out for the folks from the Carpenters shelter, plus I recognize some folks who come from the drug treatment house just up Columbus Street. Most of the time, they just hang out and read magazines and play chess, but problems do arise, of course.
Our library staff are already shockingly underpaid, particularly since we are asking them to be social workers and cops, in addition to information specialists. I find it outrageous that the City plunks down tons of public housing and drug treatment places in our neighborhood, but won't cough up a few measly bucks for a security guard to protect its staff. Shame shame shame on you, Mr. Euille and your Council.
"In addition, the editorial did not recognize the benefits afforded by the approach taken by the city and the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority with Chatham Square, Braddock East, and the Quaker Hill (the former Cameron Valley public housing complex) communities."
What an idiot the Mayor is because it took lots of citizens going before Council's open session to shame them into even a mention off siting in the Braddock East plan. Even then the number is less than Quaker Hill and possibly Chatham Square. Euille is an ass who needs his repeatedly kicked.
"One short-term solution to the crisis would be to raise property taxes by as much as 10%. This would certainly be a measure of desperation, with Council elections looming in the spring of 2009."
Lovain is already talking as if tax hikes tied to the rate of inflation are a given, which would be about 4-5%.
Frankly, I dont think the Democrats at this point worry about any possible backlash to anything they do. Is there a single prominent Republican in this City who could run for a Council seat and win?
"If you were in charge, where would you make the cuts?"
First, let me say that I expect city council do exactly what the rest of us must do when our incomes decline - that is cut back and live within our diminished means. Our taxes are already high enough and there is plenty of pork in the city's budget that could be cut. Here are some possible areas:
1) stop supporting David Dixon's company - no more useless consultants! No new parking study! No new housing study (referenced in the BEAP)
2) Cut the king street trolley. It will do people good to get a little exercise and save $2 million. Also could cut alternative transportation - special studies and save almost another million.
3) I reckon we can do without the services of the Alexandria Archeology (prof serv) at a cost of $548K.
4) Substance abuse - total looks to be about $5 million - not an essential service - cut it.
5) Recreation - adult recreation, cultural operations - nice, but not essential (especially with a price tag of nearly $4.5 million) - cut it.
Ok, there's about 13 million in reductions right there.
The city has known for some time that bringing businesses to the city is a critical issue. Compared to other area counties, Alexandria gets so little in commercial tax revenue. Largely because it has so many wasted pieces of land. Landmark Mall, poor use of land around metros, etc. Retail on King St is failing. Way too many office vacancies.
If there was ever a reason to get rid of Adkins, it's now. What a waste of so much potential tax revenue. And then we have the poor density plans for Alexandria' portion of Potomac Yard. So much is wrong with this city. Yet Arlington just moves right along with its success. They are in the middle of redeveloping the area around the Pentagon City metro -- after redeveloping all of its others. And in that same span of time, Alexandria added the Carlyle development. That's it. Why does time move 100 times faster in Arlington than Alexandria? How come they can get projects approved and built in months instead of years? How come they don't have APPROVED plans that take years to break ground (Madison and Payne St)? How come when they are given a blank slate like Potomac Yard, they take advantage of the opportunity and put the density there?
"Is there a single prominent Republican in this City who could run for a Council seat and win?"
As a Republican, I'm always voting for Democrats in our local elections. I have no problem with this because no one on a local level is truly a what they say. And to answer your question, no there is no prominent Republican in this city.
Pat Troy? seriously? He runs on his own interests.
Bill Cleveland?? He ran for Sheriff as a Republican (when he is a democrat) against Lawhorne who ran as a Democrat (when he is a Republican)
It's the Alexandria way to play the game when dealing with the Political liberalism in this City.
Most people not affected by ARHA have the ostrich syndrome. Stick your head in the ground when confronted with danger. After all, what you can't see can't hurt you.
Cut Planning & Zoning and cut them deep. They are nothing but overhead constantly putting arbitrary roadblocks in front of business and development
""4) Substance abuse - total looks to be about $5 million - not an essential service - cut it. "
I dont know about that. Anyone who knows North PG knows that if you cut that you are going to have more problems around the housing projects and around places like the Travelodge and Towne Motel.
Substance abuse actually keeps many of the troublemakers off the streets.
"The city has known for some time that bringing businesses to the city is a critical issue. Compared to other area counties, Alexandria gets so little in commercial tax revenue. Largely because it has so many wasted pieces of land. Landmark Mall, poor use of land around metros, etc. Retail on King St is failing. Way too many office vacancies."
I noticed King Euielle didnt mention that in his scathing editorial letter.
"Lovain is already talking as if tax hikes tied to the rate of inflation are a given, which would be about 4-5%."
Yup, that's the year-over-year increase the departments are using in their estimates out to 2014.
If you poke around in the proposed City Budget, you will see Jefferson-Houston School gets ZERO FUNDING for building improvements for the next several years and BRT is still in the works as a given.
http://alexandriava.gov/budget/info/default.aspx?id=16954
Belt Tightening?
Get rid of those consultants. How much money was utterly wasted on the Braddock charades?
Whose decision was it to provide 36 "residents" 2714 days (75 days each) of substance abuse treatment at a cost of nearly 1 million dollars ($28,000 each)?
Not to defend this expenditure -but by the time someone gets sentenced to something like this, we taxpayers are likely stuck with paying for either a "resident's" time in jail or his/her time in a rehab. At about $370 a day.
The solution is they get a one-time shot. Period.
"Preserving public housing through the creation of reinvigorated, mixed-income communities has worked for the city in the past,..."
Really? Where??
Euille's editorial had me nearly speechless--the gall, the absolute indignation of moral authority from someone who has "moved on up" so far from reality that he doesn't have a clue of what its really like to live in public housing TODAY, not 40 years ago.
Visionary leadership? NOT. He is an embarrassment. By Tuesday of next week I won't be speechless and I will be submitting an editorial of my own, I would encourage everyone else to do the same.
To steal a phrase from this year's election:
Bill Euille: We can't afford four more years.
Do any of the neighborhood attorneys know how difficult it is to start a local pac?
I would be happy to donate to a Parker Gray PAC fund so that we could start supporting candidates for Council who have some interest in our issues.
Revoke Alexandria's immigration resolution, passed unanimously by City Council, which guarantees all City services will be provided anyone who resides within City limits, including persons illegally within the US.
(Only services provided by federal funding are restricted.)
"attributable to the wave of Hispanic families moving to Alexandria from Fairfax and Prince William Counties."
The linked article makes no mention of the ethnic background of the recent arrivals, nor does it say where they lived immediately prior to moving to Alexandria. I have seen no information that shows that the new students are of Spanish origins, or that they are, as I am assuming is implied here, illegal Spanish.
Absent any proof let's just say that there is a spike in enrollment. These folks have a hard enough time without having the budget deficit loaded onto their backs.
Sell the land on which public housing sits. Or else lease it to somebody who will renovate it and rent it at market rates. (I know this is a huge opportunity for some sweetheart deal, but it would still be better than what we have now.) This will increase the tax base significantly. Fund affordable housing with vouchers, but only for properties for rent in the city limits.
Oh, and vote Republican. The Democratic council patted itself on the back for years about how it was cutting the tax rate while jacking up the taxes in absolute terms. Taxes have more than doubled since ~2000, but I sure don't see a doubling of what we got for it. Time to kick the bums out who put us in this mess.
Completely off topic but this year on my block (500 of N Payne) we only had about 20 trick or treaters. Last year same address had 100. Also, last year most of the kids were only with other children or teenagers, while this year they were usually accompanied by adults.
Did the robberies have anything to do with this? I actually missed the masses of kids.
"Did the robberies have anything to do with this? I actually missed the masses of kids."
It was the same on our street - Columbus. We speculated that because Halloween was on a Friday this year, there were lots of parties so the kids did that instead of trick or treating. So, I've been pretty much eating all that candy myself.....
With all due respect, if the City Council didn't live in la-la land, it would be ridiculously easy to cut the City's budget. They spend a staggering amount of money on social services of dubious value:
They spent $810k "coordinating and collaborating with City and community youth-service professionals, parents, residents and community groups to promote positive development among Alexandria's youth." WTF does that mean??
They spent $269k on "MULTICULTURAL SERVICES" to ensure that "Alexandria's culturally diverse residents have access to all City services and resources, encourage participation in the life of the City and its government and enhance the City's delivery of culturally competent services"
Completely separate from our school budget, we're also spending $5 million annually on public assistance, $5 million on food stamps, $10 million annually on child welfare, and $8 million on early childhood development services. Wonder what percentage of this money is spent on ARHA residents? As far as I can tell, this money is pure handout - no incentive for them to get eduction, jobs, or become productive members of society. We're just perpetuating those problems....
We also spent $20 million last year on programs related to affordable housing. We're planning to spend $5 million on an all city sports facility?
We also spend thousands and thousands on programs such as teen pregnancy prevention, HIV prevention, grandfathers' mentoring, homeless funding, grants to people whose SSI benefits haven't hit yet, etc.
Truly staggering. Yet they plan to cut revenue generating programs like the Trolley??
When will they wake up? Grrrrr.
"Completely off topic but this year on my block (500 of N Payne) we only had about 20 trick or treaters. Last year same address had 100."
This year we had 1 trick or treater...
I get the sense that some people with families have moved away due to the fact that it is becoming clear that this neighborhood is never going to improve in any way.
"It was the same on our street - Columbus. We speculated that because Halloween was on a Friday this year, there were lots of parties so the kids did that instead of trick or treating. So, I've been pretty much eating all that candy myself....."
Well considering we found 3 crack packet right on the street at Wythe and Fayette, your assumption might be correct.
1 of them was actually half full....
"Truly staggering. Yet they plan to cut revenue generating programs like the Trolley??
When will they wake up? Grrrrr."
Really, they plan to cut the Trolley? Wow, thats one of the few measures they actually have gotten right in terms of business development over the last few years.
Most of my friends no longer come to Old town due to the parking situation and general sense that it is no longer a "hip" spot.
"I get the sense that some people with families have moved away due to the fact that it is becoming clear that this neighborhood is never going to improve in any way."
Absolutely bunk. The Growler has been here nearly 30 years and the number of children is at an all-time high. All around the Cranky One's home there is a baby boom underway, with gaggles of infants and toddlers and preggo ladies, whereas in the past most of the homes up here were occupied by singletons or the elderly.
Get Jefferson-Houston performing permanently up to the mark, and this place could be as child-oriented as Del Ray.
As for this neighborhood "never improving," you obviously arrived here yesterday. You missed the crack houses, the shootings and murders, the mobs of drug dealers hanging on many of the streets. Oh, and let's not forget the hordes of hookers, both straight and transsexual, who used to ply Route 1 and the Fayette Street corridor.
The Growler, who was mugged twice in the early 1980s, can tell you that what's here now is a fading remnant of those times. We just need to keep pressure up on City Hall to see that law and order continues to be maintained and that there are no measures taken by misguided City staff or politicians to coddle any of the last survivors of the bad old days.
"All around the Cranky One's home there is a baby boom underway, with gaggles of infants and toddlers and preggo ladies"
Growler - I agree with your point that things are improving and that we need to keep pressure on City hall. You're also right that there are lots of pregnant women and families with small children in the neighborhood now, where formerly there were very few.
However, on my block alone, 5 families have moved in the past three years when their kids got to be of school age. They ALL said that it was fine to have infants and toddlers here, but that you couldn't in good conscience raise a kid here, with f-bombs and n-bombs flying, open drug use/dealing and prostitution (one of our trick or treaters was a local hooker), never mind the state of J-H. The two families who live here who do still have small kids are also planning to move. I don't see any hope of this cycle improving, particularly since the City has re-crammed 134 public housing units back into the neighborhood (and the J-H school district).
Bottom line, the neighborhood is improving, but this will never be Del Ray, because we will always have Adkins, Bland, etc. etc. They have NO ARHA housing. Nor do they have the Carpenters Shelter, the drug treatment houses, the home for juvies, etc.
"All around the Cranky One's home there is a baby boom underway, with gaggles of infants and toddlers and preggo ladies"
In general I would agree both with the Growler and with the prior poster. At the south end of PG I have also seen an increase in the number of new children. But I have also seen many of those families move away within a couple of years after the birth of a child.
The ones who stay are still staying away from Jefferson-Houston, by taking the opt-out or choosing a private school. I know that ACPS administration and many local parents are making a solid effort to make changes at JH, but those changes will cost money. In the face of increasing enrollment at other schools and declining budgets, it will be harder to bring those changes to fruition. Not impossible, but harder.
If all the new youngsters are still here as ten-year-olds, that will be a good sign that the neighborhood is more family friendly. Many of us will now with little thought stroll through the neighborhood with our kids. But would we let them go out by themselves if they were ten or twelve years old? Right now I think the answer is no.
"
I get the sense that some people with families have moved away due to the fact that it is becoming clear that this neighborhood is never going to improve in any way."
Its improved immensely over the years. I think whats getting people frustrated is the sense of comparing PG improvements with other areas that became downtrodden and rundown and are now reviving.
We aren't seeing the expected amenities and services that would come with the general improvements that have occurred.
Growler, the proposed budget cuts might quickly bring many of those issues back into play though. cutting the social service budget directly impacts our neighborhood, as thats going to mean more drug addicts out on the streets, more drunks causing havoc, and more issues with trouble spots that troublemakers just naturally gravitate back to.
One can already see that the efforts of the APD to push known troublemakers out of ARHA housing hotspots is just pushing them to certain local hotspots, making them more dangerous.
Not to ask the obvious question that might be on people's minds, but what does the Growler think will happen tomorrow night in regards to the election?
There apparently are rumors that there could be civil disturbances, regardless of the winner (either in "celebration" or in "rage")
"In general I would agree both with the Growler and with the prior poster. At the south end of PG I have also seen an increase in the number of new children. But I have also seen many of those families move away within a couple of years after the birth of a child.
The ones who stay are still staying away from Jefferson-Houston, by taking the opt-out or choosing a private school. I know that ACPS administration and many local parents are making a solid effort to make changes at JH, but those changes will cost money. In the face of increasing enrollment at other schools and declining budgets, it will be harder to bring those changes to fruition. Not impossible, but harder."
I agree with trf. In fact, standing in line today while the Growler was snapping photos, I overheard a young lawyer behind me saying that he'd have to move out of Alexandria (and probably into Fairfax County) when he had kids because he couldn't afford private school tuition. The clear implication being that he had zero intention of sending his kids to Alexandria public schools, and particularly the one we were standing in front of.
How about handing out tickets to the number of insanely agressive drivers weaving and cutting in and out of town during both rush hours, as well as the dangerous bikers who dart north in the morning then south at night on the streets between and including Union and Royal with no regard for drivers or pedestrians? The staff that has been rumored to be pulled out of rush hour traffic direction at key intersections due to budget cuts can start writing the tickets, and just watcht the money pour through.
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