Laserfiche WebLink
NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING <br /> <br />A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY COUNCIL WILL BE <br />HELD ON Thursday, January 27, 2005 AT 5:30 p.m. IN THE Basement Conference <br />Room. <br /> <br />THE PROPOSED AGENDA IS AS FOLLOWS: <br /> <br />Budget Work Session <br /> <br />BY ORDER OF THE MAYOR <br /> <br />BY Jeanne Cox <br /> <br />BASEMENT CONFERENCE ROOM - January 27, 2005 <br /> <br /> Council met in special session on this date with the following members present: <br />Dr. Brown, Mr. Caravati, Ms. Hamilton, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Schilling. <br /> <br /> Dr. Brown said that the purpose of the meeting is to provide feedback from <br />Council to staff about the upcoming budget, and to identify issues and areas that should <br />be looked at more closely. <br /> <br /> Mr. O'Connell presented partial results from the citizen survey recently <br />conducted. <br /> <br /> Mr. Lynch said he thinks it would be good if we could get a broader, more <br />representative survey, and Mr. Schilling concurred. <br /> <br /> Mr. O'Connell said that without funding new departmental requests, there is a <br />projected $2.5 million deficit between revenues and expenditures. He said departments <br />have been asked to provide budgets with 5%, 10% and 15% reductions. <br /> <br /> Ms. Leslie Beauregard, Budget Manager, reviewed projections for revenues. Real <br />estate taxes are expected to increase an average of 12% and personal property taxes are <br />projected to be flat. <br /> <br /> Mr. Lynch suggested that the valuation method be changed for automobile taxes <br />as the method the City uses (average loan value) is the lowest possible assessment. <br /> <br /> Ms. Beauregard said that utility taxes are projected to be up slightly and sales <br />taxes are projected to be level. <br /> <br /> Mr. Lynch said that actual sales tax revenues from last year are higher than the <br />numbers being used in this year's budget and we may not need to be so conservative in <br />projections. <br /> <br /> Mr. O'Connell said that there is increasing retail competition in Albemarle <br />County that may affect our sales tax. <br /> <br />Mr. Caravati said he thinks it is good to be conservative in these projections. <br /> <br />Ms. Beauregard said that meals tax is expected to increase 5% and BPOL 7%. <br /> <br /> Mr. Schilling noted that a half-time person was added to help with delinquent <br />taxes, but no increase is projected. He asked why this is not higher. <br /> <br />Ms. Beauregard said she will have to check. <br /> <br /> Mr. Schilling asked why permit fees are projected to be flat when they were <br />increased and the number of permits has increased. <br /> <br /> Ms. Beauregard said the permit fees need to be revisited. She said the issue of <br />personal property revenue from the State is unclear, but at this time a deficit of $600,000 <br /> <br /> <br />