Meeting Transcripts
City of Charlottesville
City Council Special Meeting 4/11/2023
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City Council Special Meeting
4/11/2023
1. Call to Order/Roll Call
2. Agenda Approval
3. FY2024 City Budget and Annual Tax Levy for Tax Year 2023
Tax ORDINANCE
FY 24 Budget Appropriation_SECOND READING
Amendments_FY24 Approved_Budget
Agenda Memo
4. Establishing the Annual Tax Levy for Tax Year 2023 (2nd reading)
5. Approving a budget and annual appropriation of funding for the City of Charlottesville for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2024 (2nd reading)
6. Establishing 2023 Tax Year Personal Property Tax Relief Percentage (1 reading)
PPTR Resolution FY2024
Agenda Memo
7. Adjournment
1. Call to Order/Roll Call
00:00:30
Thank you.
SPEAKER_07
00:01:09
Do we have a minute?
00:01:10
Oh yeah, we have a minute.
SPEAKER_06
00:01:12
You can't start without me.
00:01:13
No, we're not starting without you.
Lloyd Snook
00:01:16
No, you can't.
00:01:16
Here's a guy we can't start without.
SPEAKER_06
00:01:18
Oh, darn it.
00:01:21
Go back out and come back in.
00:01:22
All right.
00:01:23
Okay.
00:01:25
He's so kind.
Lloyd Snook
00:01:27
We have a couple places we have to be, so.
SPEAKER_06
00:01:30
Yeah, I know.
00:01:30
I need to ask Ms.
00:01:31
Thomas a question, but I can ask her later.
Lloyd Snook
00:01:34
Okay.
00:01:34
That you cannot or you can.
SPEAKER_06
00:01:37
I'll leave.
Lloyd Snook
00:01:39
Later.
00:01:39
Or now.
SPEAKER_06
00:01:40
No, after this I'll ask if we walk over.
00:01:46
Is that okay?
Lloyd Snook
00:01:49
Fine, sure.
SPEAKER_06
00:01:51
Okay, folks.
Lloyd Snook
00:01:52
It's 5.30 and we have a couple places we have to be tonight, so we'll get started.
00:01:56
Call this meeting, 5.30 meeting, special meeting of the Charlottesville City Council to order.
00:02:02
Ms.
00:02:02
Thomas, would you please call the roll?
SPEAKER_05
00:02:04
Councillor Payne?
Lloyd Snook
00:02:05
Here.
SPEAKER_05
00:02:06
Councillor Pinkston?
Lloyd Snook
00:02:07
Here.
SPEAKER_05
00:02:07
Councillor Pergier?
00:02:08
Here.
00:02:08
Mayor Snook?
Lloyd Snook
00:02:10
Here.
SPEAKER_05
00:02:10
Vice Mayor Waite?
Lloyd Snook
00:02:11
Here.
00:02:11
Okay, we're all here.
00:02:13
President accounted for.
2. Agenda Approval
Lloyd Snook
00:02:14
We have a pretty simple agenda.
00:02:16
Is there a motion to approve or to amend the agenda?
00:02:19
So moved.
00:02:20
Is there a second?
00:02:20
Second.
00:02:21
All in favor say aye.
00:02:23
Aye.
00:02:23
Any opposed?
00:02:24
Motion passes.
3. FY2024 City Budget and Annual Tax Levy for Tax Year 2023
Lloyd Snook
00:02:26
So the first action item is an ordinance on the FY 2024 budget and annual tax levy for
4. Establishing the Annual Tax Levy for Tax Year 2023 (2nd reading)
Lloyd Snook
00:02:34
Tax Year 2023.
00:02:35
Ms.
00:02:36
Hamill, you leading this off?
Krisy Hammill
00:02:40
Good evening, Mayor and Council.
00:02:42
First, I'd just like to say thank you.
00:02:44
We made it.
00:02:45
We made it through this budget season.
00:02:48
Unfortunately, Mr. Rogers is under the weather and is not going to be joining us in person, but he is online if anyone has any questions.
00:02:56
So just a few very brief comments.
00:02:59
As you recall, the city manager's proposed budget came to you at $226,239,155 through some continued revenue adjustments.
00:03:14
Last week we worked through the infamous spreadsheet.
00:03:18
Council was able to add some adjustments at just a little over two million.
00:03:22
Those adjustments are itemized on page 23 of your packet.
00:03:27
We made adjustments to both the general fund and the CIP.
00:03:31
bringing the total general fund budget to $230,390,146 and so with that tonight you will be approving two ordinances one is for the annual tax levy as you know we did not increase or change any of those tax rates and then additionally the approval of the budget and the annual appropriation for fiscal year 2024
00:04:00
And with that, I'll take any questions or turn it back over to you.
SPEAKER_03
00:04:05
And these are second readings, Mr. Mayor?
Lloyd Snook
00:04:07
Yes.
00:04:09
We had the first reading April 3rd.
00:04:13
April 3rd, yes.
Krisy Hammill
00:04:14
Okay.
00:04:14
And
Lloyd Snook
00:04:24
I do have a couple of questions.
00:04:26
I should have asked you about this during the day here.
00:04:29
On page three, page two, and city council amendments to the city manager's proposed budget are as follows, and then proceed to have a number of things that total $1.9 million.
00:04:41
Or is that, no.
00:04:43
What follows the colon?
00:04:53
at the bottom of page two.
Krisy Hammill
00:04:55
The chart that has the total FY24 city manager proposed budget and it itemizes $1.9 million worth of things that are carryovers essentially.
00:05:07
They're dollars that were appropriated during this year that we know are not going to be spent and we're asking for you to approve those appropriations to be spent in 24.
Lloyd Snook
00:05:17
Okay.
00:05:19
I thought we had not, in fact, approved more spending on these things and I didn't want to
00:05:24
inadvertently end up voting for something.
Krisy Hammill
00:05:26
No, thank you.
00:05:27
I'm glad you brought that up.
Lloyd Snook
00:05:29
So these are carryover funds previously appropriated but not spent.
Krisy Hammill
00:05:36
Correct.
Lloyd Snook
00:05:38
And then the line for council amendments to proposed budget of $2.1, $2.2 million.
00:05:44
So those two items get
00:05:52
get added to the 226 that is above that.
Krisy Hammill
00:05:55
That is correct.
00:05:56
And the $2.1 million are the things that we talked about last week and they're itemized in the table on page 23.
00:06:03
Right.
Lloyd Snook
00:06:04
Okay.
00:06:04
I was confused about page 3.
Krisy Hammill
00:06:07
Sorry.
00:06:08
No, thank you.
Lloyd Snook
00:06:09
Anybody else have any questions?
00:06:12
So we need to have two separate votes.
00:06:15
First is to vote on the tax levy and the motion on that.
00:06:22
is I guess we've got page 25.
00:06:28
Where is that?
SPEAKER_03
00:06:29
Yeah, I don't have my computer with me.
00:06:33
I'll have to bring that up.
00:06:34
I would move to approve the ordinance to establish the annual tax levy for the tax year 2023.
Lloyd Snook
00:06:44
All right.
00:06:45
Any discussion from Council?
00:06:46
Oh, is there a second?
00:06:47
Second.
00:06:48
Any discussion from Council?
00:06:50
Ms.
00:06:50
Thomas, do you take the vote, please?
5. Approving a budget and annual appropriation of funding for the City of Charlottesville for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2024 (2nd reading)
Lloyd Snook
00:06:52
Councilor Payne yes Councilor Pinkston yes Councilor Pergier yes Mayor Snook yes Vice Mayor Wade yes that passes five nothing next is the ordinance approving a budget and annual appropriation of funding for the city of Charlottesville for the fiscal year ending June 30th 2024 also a second reading here I need to make my disclosure that because my wife
00:07:17
was in the city attorney's office for eight years in the 1980s.
00:07:22
She gets a rather small pension from the city, which we're increasing this year by roughly $100 to her.
00:07:29
And I'm told that that requires disclosure, but not recusing myself from the vote.
00:07:35
Anybody else have similar disclosures?
SPEAKER_01
00:07:37
Yes, and I mentioned in previous meetings that my wife serves on the board of one of the non-profits, Child Health Partnership, where she's a volunteer, but I'm not required to, but I just wanted to make it known that
00:07:55
She serves on that board but I will be voting on the budget as well.
00:07:58
She's also a volunteer and not getting paid.
00:08:01
Correct.
SPEAKER_06
00:08:03
I need to disclose that I am a member of the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center board.
00:08:09
It is a volunteer board.
00:08:12
I do not get paid for that but I felt in full transparency those of you here and listening needed to know that.
Lloyd Snook
00:08:21
Any other similar disclosures?
00:08:23
Can we have a motion to approve the budget?
SPEAKER_03
00:08:25
I would move to approve the ordinance approving a budget and annual appropriation of funding for the city of Charlottesville for the fiscal year ending June 30th, 2024.
00:08:33
Is there a second?
00:08:35
Second.
Lloyd Snook
00:08:36
Any further discussion?
00:08:38
Ms.
00:08:39
Thomas?
SPEAKER_05
00:08:40
Councillor Payne?
Lloyd Snook
00:08:41
Yes.
SPEAKER_05
00:08:41
Councillor Pingston?
Lloyd Snook
00:08:42
Yes.
SPEAKER_05
00:08:43
Councillor Puryear?
00:08:44
Yes.
00:08:44
Mayor Snook?
Lloyd Snook
00:08:45
Yes.
SPEAKER_05
00:08:45
Vice Mayor Wade?
Lloyd Snook
00:08:47
Yes.
00:08:47
That motion also passes five to nothing.
00:08:50
Then thank you Ms.
Krisy Hammill
00:08:52
Hamill.
00:08:52
Thank you.
6. Establishing 2023 Tax Year Personal Property Tax Relief Percentage (1 reading)
Lloyd Snook
00:08:53
Now we're coming to establishing the 2023 tax year personal property tax relief percentage.
00:09:00
One reading, Mr. Divers.
SPEAKER_02
00:09:02
Mr. Mayor, members of council, appreciate you having me.
00:09:05
Just to give you a quick run through on PPTR, this is the remnant of Governor Gilmore's no car tax promise.
00:09:13
The state tried to fulfill that for a number of years by offering localities increasing amounts of state money to offset
00:09:20
car tax.
00:09:21
They reached a point where it was not sustainable.
00:09:23
They capped it.
00:09:24
And so ever since then, the city of Charlottesville has gotten about three and a little over three and a half million dollars a year that we apply to personal property tax relief to qualifying vehicles in the city.
00:09:33
Uh, the way we do it is, uh, vehicles valued a thousand qualifying vehicles valued a thousand dollars or less, get a hundred percent tax relief.
00:09:41
and then the rest of the grant goes towards a percentage on the value of vehicles up to $20,000 or up to the $20,000 of value of qualifying vehicles.
00:09:58
So obviously, depending on the size of the fleet or the valuation of the fleet, that percentage can go further or not quite as far.
00:10:06
This year, after doing our analysis, we're going with 33%.
Lloyd Snook
00:10:14
So there will be people who are under $20,000 in value but over $1,000?
00:10:17
Correct.
00:10:17
Well, 33% of the first $20,000 of value will be covered by the state.
00:10:22
All right.
SPEAKER_02
00:10:22
I suppose those of us who own cars of more than $1,000, do we need to make any disclosure of this fact?
00:10:27
No one ever has.
Lloyd Snook
00:10:44
I think we're being treated just with every other citizen in the city.
00:10:48
We don't have to.
00:10:49
I get it too.
00:10:52
Any questions from Mr. Divers?
SPEAKER_03
00:10:54
No.
Lloyd Snook
00:10:55
Any discussion?
00:10:56
First, is there a motion?
SPEAKER_03
00:10:58
I would move to approve the resolution establishing the personal property tax relief percentage for tax year 2023.
00:11:03
Is there a second?
00:11:06
Second.
Lloyd Snook
00:11:08
Any discussion from Council?
00:11:10
Ms.
00:11:10
Thomas?
7. Adjournment
Lloyd Snook
00:11:11
Councilor Payne yes Councilor Pinkston yes Councilor Puryear yes Mayor Snook yes Vice Mayor White yes motion also passes five to nothing thank you Mr. Divers and there being nothing further on our agenda we are adjourned and some of us are going to be going to join the Planning Commission yes thank you all thanks again for pulling us across the finish line here with the budget