Dear Neighbors,
This coming Monday, the City Council will convene its third of three meetings for the month of June. Following a brief Local Control Commission, the Council will convene its Council meeting. Our first item is an indoor entertainment permit. This will be followed by a presentation on the Burlington Harbor Marina Development Agreement and then a vote by the Council on the agreement.
At our last meeting, the main focus of the evening was to be the annual approval of the Mayor’s Recommended Budget. Due to the need for further discussion on the budget, the votes on the budget resolutions were delayed until the meeting this Monday.
Perhaps the most important function of the Council is the annual approval of the Mayor’s Recommended budget. By City Charter, the Mayor presents a budget to the Council. The Board of Finance offer input as do other Councilors through budget meetings over the past month. There are seven budget resolutions. We must approve not only the annual operating General Fund budget but also the capital project budget, the annual tax assessment, the approval of various loans, grant anticipation notes for the Airport (due to timing issues with grants that come to the Airport from the Federal government), public improvement bonds and the capital borrowing for the DPW Water division.
This year’s budget provides a generous infusion of progress in terms of not only continuing to strengthen our financial strength but also progress in improvements to our City’s goal of enhancing our infrastructure, our commitment to public safety and a number of other areas that important to our community. The budget funds improvements to the Library, a tremendous community resource, as well as our commitment to innovation and technological advances.
In terms of our financial strength, the budget proposed by the Mayor includes a reduction of a penny in our municipal tax rate. Most of the first half penny decrease is due to the rather unprecedented two step increase in our credit rating by Moody’s earlier this year. The first step in this journey of reversing our credit rating from its low point in 2010 was the Fiscal Stability Bond overwhelmingly approved by the voters of Burlington in the fall of 2012 and supported by most City Councilors. The other reason for the reduction in the recommended tax rate is pension savings. For the first time in many years, the City’s share of pension costs is unchanged from the last fiscal year.
The other half penny is a one-time reduction proposed by Council President Knodell from a line item from $400,000 to $200,000 for an efficiency process that, by investing in such a process and a paid consultant, would have as its objective streamlined improvements and would save the City funds in the long-term. This is similar to a process that BED undertook last year that not only saved BED money but also was supported by the employees. It improved services and BED’s effectiveness while saving money in the long-term. Fortunately, with government accounting, our books do not formally close until later this summer and it is very possible that during that time, other funds can be secured to make up the line item reduction so this process can proceed. A half penny decrease will save the average homeowner between $12 or $1 a month. Still, it is a savings and a testament to compromise and the collaborative process in making for a budget that hopefully everyone can support.
I am honored to join the Mayor as his co-sponsor of the budget resolutions in support of the Mayor’s recommended budget and hope my colleagues on the Council will support the budget as presented as well.
Following these items, we will have committee reports, updates from any Councilor on City affairs and comments from the Mayor. We do have a communication from the Mayor in Executive Session on the Memorial Auditorium/Gateway Block/City Arena following these comments.
As with all Council meetings, please keep in mind that you are always welcome to come and speak to the Council on any subject you wish during our Public Forum which begins at 7:30pm. Clickable agenda items can be found on the City's website:
https://www.boarddocs.com/vt/burlingtonvt/Board.nsf/Public All Council meetings are televised live on BT Channel 317 and streamed live to your computer or phone.
As always, I welcome your questions and concerns. Please be in touch over the weekend and on Monday.
My best,
Karen
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