THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 17, 1996 TAG: 9605170002
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A16 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 42 lines
Chesapeake City Council has approved an operating budget for next year that should raise few howls of protest.
The main reason is that no taxes or fees were raised. In Virginia you can't go wrong holding the line on taxes and fees.
Another reason the budget should be received well is that it calls for new expenditures for public safety. Actually, Chesapeake is one of the state's safest cities; in the recent City Council election, safety wasn't at the top of citizens' concerns. Still, in the wake of the March deaths of two firefighters, the decision to hire 20 more, rather than only the nine originally included in the budget, should be popular.
What the Fire Department really needs is an up-to-date communications system. The city has the most-antiquated system in South Hampton Roads; it was overwhelmed by heavy radio traffic during the fatal fire. Unfortunately, a good system, serving the whole city, would cost more than $10 million and would likely require additional city revenue - from fees or taxes. That need has to be met sooner or later.
The new budget also calls for hiring three additional police officers.
Chesapeake may be missing the boat by not spending more money now to upgrade its parks system, something citizens said was a major concern during the past election. In a fast-growing city, expansion is not going to get cheaper. A recent Virginian-Pilot study showed Chesapeake spending $30.34 per capita for parks, compared with $92.02 in Norfolk, $51.65 in Portsmouth and $39.01 in Virginia Beach. Recreational facilities are one of the amenities company owners take into account while seeking new sites. The city recently moved in the right direction when it acquired 225 acres south of Deep Creek for a large park, but more needs to be done to compensate for past neglect.
Although the city budget may be short on long-term vision, it holds the line on taxes and fees. by CNB