Each City Council member submitted a preliminary list of items to add and delete to the upcoming budget by April 23. The numbers presented here are preliminary, but they give an indication on the issues that are important to each member. The final add-delete list will be released on Friday.
MAYOR WILLIAM EUILLE suggested taking $110,000 of the city's contingent reserves to benefit several city programs:
* $30,000 to Senior Taxi
* $20,000 for the Small Business Development Center
* $10,000 for the Northern Virginia Regional Parks Authority
* $25,000 for First Night Alexandria
* $25,000 for the Alexandria Arts Commission
VICE MAYOR DEL PEPPER suggested taking $64,000 from the city's contingent reserves to benefit two city programs:
* $14,000 for Senior Taxi
* $50,000 for the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association
CONCILMAN ROB KRUPICKA is one of the two City Council members who suggested reducing the tax rate lower than the advertised rate of $0.915 for every $100 of assessed valuation. The cost of reducing the tax rate to $0.905 for every $100 of assessed valuation -- that's 9 cents lower that the current tax rate -- is $2,760,185. To pay for lowering the tax rate and fund other programs, Krupicka suggested cuts to several city programs:
* $1,627,244 less for safety officer compensation
* $1,250,000 less for the All-City Sports Complex
* $321,126 less for additional police officers
* $237,500 less for increasing pay-scale increases for city employees
* $50,000 to eliminate funding from a lost homeland security grant
Programs that he suggested adding funds to include the following:
* $150,000 to the Campagna Center
* $60,000 for the Small Business Development Center
* $36,000 for the Public Arts Account
* $35,000 for the Marketing Fund
* $20,000 for the "Be Ready" Campaign
* $14,000 for Senior Taxi
* $10,000 for the Northern Virginia Regional Parks Authority
* $5,000 for the Preschool Review Project
* $2,500 for the U.S.S. Alexandria
COUNCILMAN PAUL SMEDBERG is one of the two City Council members who suggested reducing the tax rate lower than the advertised rate of $0.915 for every $100 of assessed valuation. The cost of reducing the tax rate to $0.905 for every $100 valuation Ñ that's 9 cents lower than the current tax rate Ñ is $2,760,185. To pay for lowering the tax rate and fund other programs, Smedberg suggested cuts to several city programs:
* $2 million less for the All-City Sports Complex
* $1,412,685 less for public safety officer compensation
* $237,500 less for increasing pay-scale increases for city employees
* $70,000 less for Economic Development Entity Funding
* $50,000 to eliminate funding from a lost homeland security grant
Programs that he suggested adding funds to include the following:
* $150,000 to the Campagna Center
* $60,000 for the Small Business Development Center
* $50,000 to the Public Arts Account
* $35,000 for the Marketing Fund
* $14,000 to Senior Taxi
* $10,000 for the Northern Virginia Regional Parks Authority
COUNCILMAN ANDREW MACDONALD presented major changes to the city budget, presenting a plan to shift more than $9 million in funds. His plan included adding $698,000 to the city's contingent reserves. Programs that Macdonald proposed cutting include:
* $2 million less for the new police facility
* $1 million less for city schools
* $600,000 less for the new fire station
* $500,000 less for hiring new police officers
* $200,000 less for Fort Ward repairs
* $200,000 less for Wilkes Street Tunnel
* $200,000 less for space management
* $170,000 less for Union Station
* $100,000 less for Alexandria Economic Development Partnership
* $100,000 less for stream maintenance
* $100,000 less for citywide sign programs
* $100,000 less for the Alexandria Community Development Foundation
Programs that he suggested adding funds to include the following:
* $3 million more for Windmill Hill Waterfront
* $1 million more for Old Town utility undergrounding
* $300,000 more for the Campagna Center
* $150,000 more for Gadsby Tavern repairs
* $50,000 more for tree care
* $25,000 more for the King Street Metro Enterprise Team
* $25,000 more for the Maritime History Museum Study
* $14,000 more for Senior Taxi
* $5,000 more for the Northern Virginia Regional Parks Authority
* $3,000 more for the Pipes and Drum Band
COUNCILMAN LUDWIG GAINES was one of two City Council members who proposed adding money to the city's contingent reserves, proposing a $62,900 deposit into the account. Programs that he proposed cuts to include:
* $200,000 less for DASH assumption of Metrobus service reductions
Programs that he suggested adding funds to include the following:
* $100,000 more for specific DASH routes (AT-3 and AT-4)
* $25,000 more for the Northern Virginia Regional Parks Authority
* $10,000 more for the Youth Summer Employment Program
* $1,500 more for election sign recyling
* $600 more for Operation Trick Nor Treat
COUNCILWOMAN JOYCE WOODSON suggested dedicating a percentage of the city's recordation tax to benefit the city's affordable housing efforts.