BUDGET WORK SESSION OF THE GREENBELT CITY COUNCIL held Wednesday, March 28, 2007, for the purpose of reviewing the Overview, Revenues, and General Government sections of the proposed FY 2008 budget

 Mayor Davis called the meeting to order at 8:00 p.m. It was held in the Multipurpose Room of the Community Center.

 PRESENT WERE: Councilmembers Konrad E. Herling, Leta M. Mach, Rodney M. Roberts, and Mayor Judith F. Davis. Councilmember Edward V. J. Putens arrived at about 8:15 p.m.

 STAFF PRESENT WERE: Michael McLaughlin, City Manager; David Moran, Assistant City Manager; Jeffrey Williams, City Treasurer; and Kathleen Gallagher, City Clerk.

 ALSO PRESENT WERE: Sheldon Goldberg, Greenbelt East Advisory Committee; Diane Oberg, Greenbelt News Review; and others.

 After giving Council an update on the status of Springhill Lake following the fires, Mr. McLaughlin reviewed the budget overview. He noted that it includes no proposed contribution to the Fund Balance, since every possible amount had been assigned to expenditures. A two-cent tax increase is included. The largest departmental increase is to Public Safety at $1.4 million, in part because this is the largest department and in part because of the requirements of the collective bargaining agreement.

 Mr. Williams then reviewed a sheet he had prepared summarizing the revenue side of the proposed budget. He noted a number of items, including: the increase from 42% to 54% over the last five years in the proportion of revenues represented by real estate taxes; an increase in recreation revenues attributable to improved marketing of children’s programming; and the fact that red light camera expenditures (not including staff costs) will exceed revenues for the first time during this budget year. He said overall the City’s financial situation is relatively healthy. The Fund Balance is not meeting the 10% of current-year expenditures guideline, but it has improved over the last couple of years.

 The General Fund Summary was reviewed line by line. Mr. McLaughlin pointed out that a cent on the tax rate yields $175,800.

 Mr. Williams noted the budget proposes a 3% salary adjustment, health insurance costs will not increase, and there will be a 16% reduction in premiums for prescription insurance. He said the 5% increase in LGIT insurance premiums is reasonable, but he is more concerned about the 10% increase in the Injured Workers Insurance Fund. He said FY 08 will see the last of the current debt service payments for the phone system. He said a 12% increase in natural gas costs is anticipated.

 Ms. Mach suggested attempting to increase the City Manager’s staff by one before the next period of collective bargaining negotiations comes up, in order to relieve the workload burden.

 Mr. Herling asked where the greatest staffing priority was. Mr. McLaughlin said the case manager position for the GAIL program.

 There was discussion of the difficulties of how to measure performance for Council and Administration.

 Mayor Davis asked if account had been taken of the fact that there are now three Councilmembers on national steering committees who will need to attend meetings.

 Under General Government, the question of increasing compensation for City Councilmembers was raised. A resident had requested at a regular Council meeting that Council consider this at the appropriate time. Mr. Putens said that in 1989, the prior pattern of adjustments every four years had stopped, and it had now been 18 years since an increase. He proposed raising the amount to $10,000 for Councilmembers and $12,000 for the Mayor as a way to get the amount back on the curve it had previously been on. Reference was made to a previous comparative municipal official salary study, and Council asked to have a copy of it.

 Mayor Davis said at this point three items had been added to the “wish list”: the GAIL case manager position, the Council compensation increase, and the marketing/economic development position Mr. Herling had previously proposed.

 The Mayor asked Mr. Moran to check on the status of bills that had been introduced to give a tax credit to people 65 and over of limited income. She said she would like the City to piggyback on this for City tax as the City of Takoma Park has done.

 Ms. Mach said she would like to have a law, resolution, or policy requiring the City to maintain a living wage.

 Mr. Roberts said his wish was that there be no wish list. He said considering the proposed tax increase, he did not think Council should contemplate adding expenditures. He said that because of increased assessments, he would like to see the tax rate cut.

 

Other Business

 The Mayor asked to schedule a work session on the City goals sometime over the summer. She also asked if Council could meet at 7:30 p.m. on April 4 to discuss the applicants to the APB.

 Ms. Mach said that at the ACE meeting on Monday night, School Board Member Rosalind Johnson said the board is under the impression that there is already a task force that is meeting on the Greenbelt West schools situation. Mr. Putens suggested that the City request clarification on this in writing.

 Mr. Herling distributed some literature to Council and noted that he had discussed incorporating GATE community-related videos into the Beltway Plaza theaters with Kap Kapastin.

 The meeting was adjourned at 10:40 p.m.

 Respectfully submitted,

 Kathleen Gallagher
City Clerk

 

 

 

 

City of Greenbelt, Maryland
City Offices, 25 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD 20770
Phone: 301-474-8000 FAX: 301-441-8248