Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 5, 1991 TAG: 9103051177
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By KATHY LOAN NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
City Manager Bob Asbury said the proposed budget, with expenditures of $34,983,319, is balanced except for a $407,373 deficit caused by the school system's request for additional local funds to offset losses from the state and for other projects.
The schools' total budget request is $7,178,004, but they only have the money for $6.77 million, he said. The local share of the proposed school budget is $3,397,835.
The biggest change in the proposed city budget is a major reduction in money set aside for capital improvement projects. More than $727,000 in needs were identified for the new fiscal year in the five-year capital improvements plan, but only $11,500 is included in the budget.
That amount is about $100,000 less than was available for improvements in the current budget. The proposed $11,500 is for improvements at the Senior Center, the Fire Department and the police communications center.
"If the financial picture does not improve significantly, we might have to look at some sort of bond issue for capital improvements," Mayor Tom Starnes said.
Under the budget proposal, real estate taxes would remain at 70 cents per $100 of assessed value. Personal property and machinery and tools taxes would stay at $1.40 per $100 assessed value. Residential rates for garbage disposal, recently increased to help offset increased costs at the Ingles Mountain Landfill, would remain at $13 per month.
Asbury said most departments met council's directive to submit level-funding requests. A reduction in the local contribution to the state retirement system helped departments do that, he said.
There are no salary increases, layoffs or furloughs in the new budget, Asbury said. City employees received a cost-of-living adjustment of less than 5 percent this year. In work sessions later this week, council will scrutinize salary increase requests of 3 percent to 6 percent from New River Valley boards and agencies it helps support.
Asbury suggested some reductions could be made in the city's share of the New River Resource Authority's budget. The authority is a cooperative landfill board financially supported by Radford and Pulaski County governments that oversees Ingles Mountain Landfill, recycling and community projects and plans for a new permanent landfill in Pulaski County.
The authority has asked for $527,116 from the city for the next fiscal year. This year's budget was approved at $368,059, but estimates show Radford may actually contribute almost $448,000 to the authority budget. "We're overrun with personnel in that operation, and we need to take a very, very hard look at reducing personnel," he said.
Polly Corn, vice mayor, agreed that savings were needed in the authority's budget. She said "thousands and thousands" had been spent for recycling projects with no measurable results.
"We need to have something much more concrete at a lower cost," she said.
"I don't disagree with you," said Starnes, who is chairman of the resource authority. With the city's contribution to the authority almost doubling since the 1989-90 fiscal year, Starnes said he and Asbury will "work on that budget when it comes up," at the March 20 authority meeting.
City council will continue budget work sessions at the Municipal Building on Wednesday and Thursday at 7 p.m.
by CNB