[RP TownTalk] Budget for next year

kathy galleher kgalleher at yahoo.com
Thu May 24 02:46:49 UTC 2007 

Vern,
In your last post you summarized the upcoming budget proposal by saying that  it requires $500K to keep services at the same level as last year.  As I understood the handouts presented at the meeting, you and the council were proposing to raise the budget from 3.7 million to 4.07 million, so I only see at 300K difference (I think).  I am under the impression that these proposed '08 figures were not for keeping services at the same level but included  significant improvements and additional expenditures to raise service levels in some areas.  

One of the common themes I heard at the meeting was townspeople asking for an idea of the budget if services were kept at '07 levels, and some detail as to what the additional costs proposed are buying us.  I believe you and the council said you were willing to provide this in the next few weeks.  I know I am looking forward to this so that we can collectively offer our opinions about the value of specific areas of  improved services and infrastructure versus the value of keeping taxes lower

Thanks
Kathy
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Subject: TownTalk Digest, Vol 10, Issue 57

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: no vote will be taken at the budget hearing (Vernon Archer)
   2. Prince George's for Obama organizational meeting
      (novella sargusingh)
   3. Landscaping in the neighborhood (Robinson Sanderson)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Wed, 23 May 2007 10:36:00 -0400
From: "Vernon Archer" <varcher at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] no vote will be taken at the budget hearing
To: "Nancy Augustine" <nya_md at verizon.net>
Cc: towntalk at riverdale-park.org
Message-ID:
    <f86ada2a0705230736j18efec99t6c4b27bf9f78a67a at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Nancy and all,

Where we are, as I see it, is the outline of the issues we have to grapple
with for next year has been laid out.  In order to continue services at
approximately the same level as this year we will need approximately $500K
in resources, either through: 1) spending reserves; 2)taxation;  or  3)
trimming "fat" from expenditures.  Usually the council looks for the
trimming first and then sets the tax rate and appropriation of reserves as
are needed, but that is tradition not code.

There will be a series of Finance/Budget meetings over the coming weeks to
create a budget that the Council can pass.  The first two scheduled meetings
will be tomorrow, Thursday the 24th at 7:30 and the following Thursday the
31st at 7:30.  The Council Work Session on Tuesday the 29 and the
Legislative Session on Monday June 4th may be followed by Finance meetings
too, but no such meetings have yet been scheduled. All of these meetings are
of course open to the public, and will be posted in order to help residents
follow the proceedings.

There is a clear advantage to the town if we set our tax rate by June 8th,
because the county will then bill and assist in the collection of our
property taxes.   We will therefore make a strong effort to have at least a
clear consensus on the overall spending plan by that date; however, because
we now have a fully staffed General Government we can do the tax collection
ourselves if the time constraints prove to confining.

The town must pass its completed budget no later than June 30.

Best wishes,

Vern


On 5/23/07, Nancy Augustine <nya_md at verizon.net> wrote:
>
> I was on my way back from a business trip, on Monday night, and couldn't
> attend the meeting. How can I catch up with what happened and where the
> Council is in the discussion?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org
> [mailto:towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org] On Behalf Of Maureen
> Farrington
> Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2007 11:24 AM
> To: TownTalk
> Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] no vote will be taken at the budget hearing
>
> If repairing the roads all at once saves us money, I don't see how this is
> a
> bad thing for the future of the town.
>
> On 5/22/07, CHRISTINA DAVIS <book-smart at verizon.net> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > The budget historically has been delivered the week before the
> > election (in election years), and preparation with town staff began 1-2
> months earlier.
> > Perhaps this has changed more recently, but it might be a good system
> > to go back to. It is unusual in the town's history for a proposed
> > budget hike of this size to have not been discussed during a campaign,
> either pro or con.
> >
> >
> >
> > Also, I have been hearing much about road improvements; streets that
> > were repaired 5-10 years ago are being redone again now. This is not
> > unusual if a utility company destroys them and pays for the complete
> > over-hall (usually after much legal wrangling). But, if these newly
> > done streets did not survive their proposed 20-30 year life span, then
> > perhaps the road repair company should be taken to task and repair them
> at
> reduced or no cost.
> >
> >
> >
> > A now-deceased mayor from the 1960s touted himself as the "road-paving
> > king," and did all of the town streets at once. Then, in the 1980s and
> > early 1990s, they all failed at the nearly same time (as their life
> > expectancies all expired at the same time), a problem which my
> > generation of councilmembers inherited. A more moderate approach
> > seemed to be warranted, as it would not seem prudent to pass this
> > problem along to your children after the town had learned such a
> valuable
> lesson then.
> >
> >
> >
> > Chris
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> >  From: towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org
> > [mailto:towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org] On Behalf Of Dwight
> > Holmes
> >  Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 3:50 PM
> >  To: TownTalk
> >  Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] no vote will be taken at the budget
> > hearing
> >
> >
> >
> > Roland--Thank you for the information here you've given us that I was
> > not previously aware of, and which is good to know. The value of this
> > thread continues to accumulate. However, I'm puzzled a bit by your
> > citing of my earlier email. What I wrote was "Like some have already
> > said, I think it's too bad the discussion couldn't have started
> > somewhat sooner -- it does feel a bit rushed, for something as
> > momentous as this is. But it is good to know that there are at least a
> few
> meetings to go before things are finalized."
> > You took a piece of that out of context.  I think it misconstrued the
> > meaning of what I wrote.
> >
> >  And whether we are eventually talking about tax hike of 27% or 18% or
> > even 10%, I think it's fair to say that it is momentous.  I would
> > argue at the very least that it *should* be seen as such.  I'm not
> > advocating for or against any particular proposal at this point. As a
> > new homeowner in  the town, I want and need much more information.
> > That's why I've appreciated and expressed as much for the current
> > thread(s) we've got going here.  Without this email list I would know
> > nothing of any of these issues.  It's really too bad more of our
> > residents don't join in.  But mainly, I'm just saying that a tax
> > increase of any amount in that range (10 - 27%) is certainly not
> > inconsequential, is certainly significant, and may be seen by many on
> tight budgets as mom entous.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On 5/21/07, Roland Walker <walker at pobox.com> wrote:
> >
> > [Dwight Holmes writes]
> >  > it does feel a bit rushed, for something as momentous as this is.
> >
> >  Outside the world of this email list, the budget process is neither
> > so  rushed, nor the taxation decision so momentous.
> >
> >  No vote will be taken tonight -- the meeting is only a hearing, one
> > that is required under the laws that govern the process.
> >
> >  The mayor's submitted budget represents, in large part, "wishlists"
> >  put forward by town staff, gathered up together, and proposed to the
> > council.
> >
> >  Tonight's hearing publicizes a maximum number, which our taxes cannot
> > exceed.  However, it is expected that the final taxation instructions
> > we send to the county will be lower.  The law gives us the flexibility
> > to move down -- but not up -- from the publicized number.  So we call
> > it first on the high end.
> >
> >  Right now, what is happening is that your councilmembers are poring
> > over the budget, finding items to remove or add, generally working to
> > bring the budget down by whittling away at staff wishlists.  One
> > councilmember has also found a revenue item which was missing.
> >  Citizens have also read the budget and forwarded good money-saving
> > suggestions, and are encouraged to do so.
> >
> >  The incoming council are the ones that will actually pass the budget.
> >  They are on point right now to see that the budget fits their policy
> > priorities as described to voters.
> >
> >  This is generally a consultative process, not an adversarial one.  Mr
> > Oppenheim's exhortations on the subject may be charitably explained by
> > noting that having served only half a term, he is not very familiar
> > with the process.
> >
> >  The final tax rate will be lower than the advertised rate.  It will
> > probably represent a modest rise in rates.
> >
> >  Vernon Archer ran for mayor in '05 on a platform or building up our
> >  town, and was unopposed in '07.   Perhaps someone will run in '09 on a
> >  platform of cutting police and public works.  In the meantime,
> > measured, steady buildup will continue.
> >
> >  This was the choice of the voters.
> >
> >  R
> >  _______________________________________________
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> > TownTalk-request at riverdale-park.org is for automated subscription
> > processing only  http://riverdale-park.org/mailman/listinfo/towntalk
> >
> >  For more information about Riverdale Park, visit
> > http://www.ci.riverdale-park.md.us
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >  --
> >  ~~
> >  Map of Riverdale Park MD Trolley Hiker-Biker Trail and Cafritz
> > Property  http://tinyurl.com/2wsfql  ~~  Tracking the Washington
> > Nationals' 2007 season (will they catch the '62
> > Mets?):
> >  http://tinyurl.com/2m6f43
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
> > For more information about Riverdale Park, visit
> > http://www.ci.riverdale-park.md.us
> >
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-- 
Vernon Archer, Mayor
Town of Riverdale Park, Maryland
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Message: 2
Date: Wed, 23 May 2007 10:46:16 -0400
From: "novella sargusingh" <msnovella50 at hotmail.com>
Subject: [RP TownTalk] Prince George's for Obama organizational
    meeting
To: TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
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Message: 3
Date: Wed, 23 May 2007 19:38:28 +0000
From: "Robinson Sanderson" <robinsonsanderson at hotmail.com>
Subject: [RP TownTalk] Landscaping in the neighborhood
To: towntalk at riverdale-park.org
Message-ID: <BAY102-F2856F1DE4B9CC00F37322DB8350 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

I'm not sure if anyone on this list can help me out with this.....my family 
and I moved into a house on 47th Avenue in January, so everything is new to 
us.  Next to our house, there is a large grassy area--in the winter it was 
used for sledding--but mostly people use it to cut through to the walking 
path.  Anyway, the grass is now extremely tall----past my waist.  I'm not 
sure who is in charge of the upkeep of this area.  I called Public Works and 
left a message and I called Town Hall and was put through to voice mail for 
a Ron Goff, I believe.  I never heard back from anyone and the grass just 
keeps getting taller and taller.  Is there anyone else to contact about 
this?

Thanks,
Jen Sanderson
47th Avenue

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