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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4/21/2015 - SpecialApril 21, 2015 199 Roanoke County Administration Center 5204 Bernard Drive Roanoke, Virginia 24018 The Board of Supervisors of Roanoke County, Virginia met this day at the Roanoke County Administration Center, this being a special meeting for presentation of the proposed budget. Audio and video recordings of this meeting will be held on file for a minimum of five (5) years in the office of the Clerk to the Board of Supervisors. IN RE: CALL TO ORDER Chairman Peters called the meeting to order at 6-00 p.m. The roll call was taken. MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairman P. Jason Peters, Supervisors Al Bedrosian, Joseph B. "Butch" Church, Joseph P. McNamara and Charlotte A. Moore MEMBERS ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: Thomas C. Gates, County Administrator; Daniel R. O'Donnell, Assistant County Administrator; Richard Caywood, Assistant County Administrator- Paul M. '7 Mahoney, County Attorney; Amy Whittaker, Public Information Officer and Deborah C. Jacks, Deputy Clerk to the Board IN RE: BRIEFINGS 1. Presentation of the proposed Operating and Capital budgets for fiscal year 2015-2016 and fiscal year 2016-2025 Capital Improvement Plan (Thomas C. Gates, County Administrator) Mr. Gates presented a PowerPoint presentation and outlined the proposed Operating and Capital budgets for fiscal year 2015-2016 and fiscal year 2016-2015 Capital Improvement Plan. A copy of this presentation is on file in the office of the Clerk to the Board of Supervisors. Mr. Gates advised the next steps in the process is a public hearing scheduled for April 28, 2015 and a work session. At that point, staff will be prepared to answer any questions. The first reading is scheduled for May 12, 2016, as well as a work session and May 26, 2015, will be the second reading and final adoption of the budget. 200 April 21, 2015 Supervisor Bedrosian asked if the summary document that was provided previously was included in the information with Mr. Gates responding in the affirmative. He then stated just to be sure, Mr. Gates had commented there is not a whole lot of new spending, but the bottom line is at least to his understanding about $8.5 million of additional spending and then we find out about $3 million of expenditures decreases so when you net those to it is approximately $5 million. So, he wants clarification that when he is adding all of the numbers on the summary that it does show that the additional expenditures amount to $8.5 million and an example of one of the things offset as an expenditure decrease is the fact that we are not going to borrow $10 million next year that translates into a $1,000 decrease in expenditures. So, the real new spending that is going to be done is about $8 million. Mr. Gates responded negatively stating the actual increase is $4.6 million from last year to this year, which is approximately a two point six percent (2.6%) increase and when you subtract from that the pass through monies from Department of Social Services (DSS) at $1.1 million and $776,000 associated with the Ardaugh agreement, you get a change in the budget of approximately one point five percent (1.5%) and that is the actual new spending in the budget. Any budget every year has some set of puts and takes as we add and subtract things that we no longer need to be included and the only way to completely understand it is to look essentially to the bottom line as he says $4.6 million in additional spending can be netted by approximately $1.9 million. Supervisor Bedrosian stated so the puts and takes are $4.6 million with Mr. Gates responding in the affirmative stated that is how we get there and to your point about the transfer of the monies that we show here. What we have done there is instead of providing money for projects and funding for debt issuance, we have taken that very same money and applied it to deferred and capital maintenance items in the capital budget so the resource was used, but instead of using it for debt service for future facilities, we have instead used it to maintain the existing assets and obviously an appropriate choice he thinks, but that is a matter of discussion and debate for the Board. Supervisor Church stated he agrees with the 85/15 ratio of residential to commercial and that has been the case prior to his coming on this Board, which is how long it has been. It is not a yesterday's problem, it is not a today's problem, and it has been there awhile. We don't have a Crossroads Mall like Roanoke City. He does not see an easy fix and never has been for almost twenty-five (25) years. Secondly, with regard to the CIP setup, he does not want to lose sight of our people. The committee that our Board has appointed. He wants to make sure that they have their continued interest and participation because it has worked well for us in the past. He wants that to continue. Mr. Gates stated he appreciates the comment and should have mentioned earlier. He did take the CIP proposal to the CIP Committee, albeit late, much of what we have been doing this year has been a catchup. He did commit to them that he would be back next year in the construct of the CIP that they would have an opportunity April 21, 2015 201 to weigh in both with him in the course of him producing a budget recommendation for the Board, but also with the Board. They have the opportunity to speak at the public budget hearing and express their thoughts directly to you and during citizen comments during regular meeting. So, they do have opportunities to speak. He agrees that they need to be incorporated into the process as we develop those recommendations and he is fully supportive. In fact, one of the things he is considering as a process change for next year is for us to look at an expanded role for a group of citizens to provide their input into the budget development. This is something that he is very interested in because it promotes civic engagement and he is very interested in moving away from the traditional model of developing the budget in isolation and sharing some of that information earlier in the process with citizens. Supervisor Church stated he was glad to hear that as his appointee as well as the other appointees take a real interest and ownership with our staff. He stated he thinks it would be a shame to put them to the side anywhere. He wants them to be very visible, participating because they are going around valid needs. There are not just looking at their district, per se. They come back with projects for the general good of the entire County. Mr. Gates stated he was in agreement. IN RE: ADJOURNMENT Chairman Peters adjourned the meeting at 7-03 p.m. to the regularly scheduled meeting on April 28, 2015, at 3-00 p.m. Deputy Clerk to the Board Approved by: P. Ja on Peters Chai an 202 April 21, 2015 PAGE LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY