Seventy show up to help trim city budget

City services were put under a microscope Thursday during a more than two-hour community workshop on the city’s budget.

This was the second installment of an unusual budget dialogue organized by the city to gather public feedback on spending priorities. More than 70 people attended. Their task for the evening was to weigh the merits of a broad cross-section of city services, ranging from public safety to garbage collection to recreation programs.

A steady hum filled the meeting room at the James River Conference Center as participants, broken up into small discussion groups and supplied with fact sheets listing different expenses, debated which programs were worth keeping and which could be left by the wayside in the pursuit of a balanced budget.

Opinions varied widely. In one group, a member questioned whether it was necessary in a recession to spend $97,500 to fund a TV channel devoted to local government programming. Another attendee defended the station — which among other things broadcasts public meetings — as an invaluable way of connecting citizens with the government.

Several participants suggested that some services, such as litter pick-up, could be replaced with volunteer labor.

“We could share some of that responsibility and do it ourselves,” said Bianca Tate, a former social worker turned homemaker. “We have to take some responsibility for our community.”

Several issues raised Thursday were familiar from past budget debates. Some groups suggested the Langley Fountain in the James River be shut off. The necessity of a parking manager, a new position created last year, was also debated. And multiple participants quizzed city officials on the wisdom of providing financial backing for downtown’s Bluffwalk Center.

At least one group branched out beyond the idea of cost-cutting and began debating ways of generating new revenue, with members specifically questioning why certain large organizations such as Centra and Liberty University are exempt from the tax rolls.

“Why don’t the two biggest and strongest agencies in town have to pay any taxes,” asked Walter Fore, a longtime community activist.

No leaders from either Centra or LU appeared to be in attendance Thursday. City officials explained that state law grants tax-exempt status to certain organizations, including hospitals and colleges.

City officials said they continued to be pleased with the turnout and enthusiasm generated by these budget workshops. The third and final session will take place next week. Organizers hope to come away from that meeting with a broad consensus on various aspects of the budget, which will then be used to inform future spending decisions.

Several citizens said they felt this workshop series has given them a better understanding of the budget and a better idea of how tough the choices facing the city are.

“This has been very informative,” said participant Lisa Cresson. “Clearly, there is not a lot of fat in the budget to begin with. Cuts are going to be very difficult to make. I think everyone in my group was very concerned that we’re going to end up losing jobs.”