Thread by @RVAdirt

It’s budget season y’all! #RVAMayor presented his budget to #RVACouncil today. Here is all 826 pages of glory. Imma sift through it and post random thoughts (good, bad, ugly, indifferent) in this thread. 🧜🏻‍♀️

richmondgov.com/PressSecretary…

Here’s the readers digest version of the budget highlights. 🧜🏻‍♀️

richmondvaannouncements.blogspot.com/2019/03/mayors…

Here is a copy of #RVAMayor @LevarStoney’s budget remarks. 🧜🏻‍♀️

richmondgov.com/PressSecretary…

And here’s a link to the FB live stream of those comments today. Stay tuned for the last ~3 minutes where #RVACouncil members Trammell and Gray are... we’ll I’ll let you be the judges of what adjectives to use here. 🧜🏻‍♀️

facebook.com/RVAGov/videos/…

I scrolled too fast and skipped ahead to pg 25 where I saw $700k for a new regional police plane.

Personally, I’m vehemently opposed to this police plane situation. I have a lot of questions about its use, effectiveness, and necessity. 🧜🏻‍♀️

#ICYMI the ongoing saga of police planes in Northside... follow this thread back to the beginning.

I question what data they are collecting when they randomly circle. I also question using the plane to aggressively find someone w/ drugs after a stop. 🧜🏻‍♀️

https://twitter.com/richmondpolice/status/1085266814102396931?s=21

Alright. Cop planes aside (for now) I’m getting settled to go back & start from the beginning of this budget doc. Won’t get through it all tonight but I’ll keep adding thoughts, questions, things people may find of interest,&plenty of sarcastic remarks til I make it to the end.🧜🏻‍♀️

And we’re back. Because I know you’re all wondering what my budget-reading-mood-lighting is....

I’m in bed. In my pajamas. Reading and tweeting from my iPhone. There is a diet ginger ale and mint chocolate chip Larabar on the nightstand incase if food emergency. 🧜🏻‍♀️

A good refresher for anyone before we get too far down the budget rabbit hole.

Most of the budget details get broken down by agency so if you aren’t sure where an agency fits, here’s the org chart.

(PS- @wonderfulmimixo... for city civics class? ⬇️) 🧜🏻‍♀️

#RVAMayor @LevarStoney indicates that the allocations in his proposed reflect a prioritization:
- providing opportunities for all Richmonders
- Education
- neighborhood streets & roadways
- public safety
- housing that is affordable
- youth services
- poverty reduction

- efficient city service delivery
- city employees

Let’s make sure I end this thread with a discussion on if his budget accomplishes what he set out to do. 🧜🏻‍♀️

- Here #RVAMayor sets the stage for the context of why he is calling for tax increases.

- Interesting tidbit about how this is a 20 year CIP instead of the normal 5 year.

- I wonder why those revenues are declining. 🧜🏻‍♀️

Oh wow. Okay. So... I just started reading some of #RVAMayor @LevarStoney’s specific budget items and I just remembered that going into this, it may be important to remember that last year #RVACouncil didn’t cut anything from his budget. Not only that... but... 🧜🏻‍♀️

... the past 2 budgets #RVACouncil has requested #RVAMayor @LevarStoney certify additional money and for help identifying cuts.

Basically... I’m honestly not sure how (if? 😬) council will be able to get consensus on what gets cut if they reject the tax proposals. 🧜🏻‍♀️

I can’t stress this dynamic enough so here are receipts:

In 2017, there was a 18 hour budget meeting that ended in #RVACouncil asking #RVAMayor’s administration to identify $1.3M in cuts to balance the budget. 😐😳🤦🏻‍♀️🧜🏻‍♀️

wric.com/news/richmond-…

In 2018, #RVACouncil deadlocked over $1.2M and President Hilbert asked #RVAMayor for help making cuts.... again.

This time, Stoney was like “not my job Chillbz.” Annnnd council ultimately raided the public art fund to balance the budget. 🧜🏻‍♀️

richmond.com/news/local/cit…

So now, here we are... #RVAMayor @LevarStoney has proposed a budget with all of these things in it.... along with a $0.09 property tax rate increase and $0.50/pack cigarette tax..... and the ball is in #RVACouncil’s court.

Live action shot of me ⬇️🧜🏻‍♀️

One difference of note is that we are under different #RVACouncil leadership this year. President Chillbz is out and Dr. Madame President @CynthiaNewbille is in.

Alright, on with the budget proposal. 🧜🏻‍♀️

Page 27 of the PDF.

For those interested in how the Coliseum being closed plays into our budget this year, here is our answer. #NavyHill #NoBro #NOB #NorthOfBroad 🧜🏻‍♀️

CC: @LipstickNLegos

This is interesting. Stoney’s budget transfers operation of 17th Street Farmers Market and Main Street Station from third party management to city agencies.

The term “public asset” makes me wonder what this may mean for Coliseum management arrangements. 🤔🧜🏻‍♀️

For real y’all...

How is #RVACouncil going to debate these budget line items? I’m literally asking what that’s going to sound like.

I guess instead of talking “cuts,” council could take the budget passed last year and build from there. How would you feel about that approach?🧜🏻‍♀️

Another thought, at #Mayorathon, #RVAMayor @LevarStoney indicated the Navy Hill proposal wouldn’t be out for more than 4 months.

This is a great moment to refresh the #RVACouncil budget schedule draft. Council will vote on the budget in ~2.5 months. 🧜🏻‍♀️

Yellow and red highlights are decreasing b/w 2019 & 2020. Is the coliseum being closed the driver behind the the admissions tax decrease? Or is it something else?

What is up with permitting and licenses for that big of a jump? 🧜🏻‍♀️

General fund expenditures by agency. Looks like only 6 agencies budgets have proposed decreases.

I assume the economic development decrease is related to the management transfer of 17th St Farmers Market & Main Street Station. Can’t wait to dig into this later. 👀🧜🏻‍♀️

Refreshing this #RVACouncil thread from the cigarette tax debate last year.

Where do we stand on that comprehensive funding plan? 🧜🏻‍♀️

https://twitter.com/rvadirt/status/988590310052777989?s=21

So... who is gonna calculate what the TIF looks like in a world of $1.29 real estate tax? HSP report of TIF tax assessments ⬇️.

Specifically, would the primary impact zone see enough of a boost to eclipse the need for the secondary impact zone? 🤔🧜🏻‍♀️

This also makes me think about how #RVAMayor is proposing a 20 year CIP versus a 5 year CIP. Does a 20 year CIP add any extra protection of protecting funds from a real estate tax being shifted elsewhere? What are all the benefits of a 20 year plan over a 5 year plan?🧜🏻‍♀️

The only thing I can think about when reading this is OMG THE SWIMMING POOLS LADY WILL BE OVERJOYED. 🧜🏻‍♀️

Tweeting so I remember to look up more about these expenditures. 👀🧜🏻‍♀️

What qualifies as “tactical response”?

Also- “protests & disruptions” were a $308K expense. How much of that can we bill to CSA2? 🧜🏻‍♀️

Tweeting as a reminder to look more into what is driving these decreases. 🧜🏻‍♀️

Parks & Rec general fund expenditures. Red highlights have a decrease in the proposed budget. 🧜🏻‍♀️

Why is the GRCCA subsidy projected to increase? 🧜🏻‍♀️

Imma need a refresher course on where things stand with Stone Brewing. 🤦🏻‍♀️🧜🏻‍♀️

I just flashed back to ORD 2019-004 that passed on January 28th. This ordinance gave #RVAMayor @LevarStoney more flexibility on proposing a budget with a plan of 1 or 2 years. 🤔🧜🏻‍♀️

Oh man... Strategic Management & Performance is up next??? Followed by performance based budgeting????? AND RPD IS PART OF THE PERFORMANCE BASED BUDGETING?!?!?!

Whew. Talk about cliff hangers.

Good night. ✌🏻😴🧜🏻‍♀️

Ugh. Good night Metro Aviation Unit, a joint effort of @RichmondPolice, @ChesterfieldPD, and @HenricoPolice, that seems to spend most of its air time circling Richmond neighborhoods.

Sigh. If we’re shelling out $700K for a new cop plane, can it at least be mildly quieter? 🧜🏻‍♀️

@threadreaderapp unroll 🧜🏻‍♀️