April 17, 2024: Council adopts $253M budget for FY25 after no one speaks at final public hearing on tax rate increase
Plus: Charlottesville Police issue a warrant for man accused of Cherry/Ridge shooting last night
We’re now 108 days into 2024, a year that indicates the new millennia is still young. Each of us perceives time differently but the hope is that there is a common mechanism to determine where we are in our lives as we relate to each other.
For me, April 17 is an important day, but no less so than the 365 other days this year. Now it is time to get on with the next edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement, a newsletter that seeks to cover as much possible until the hourglass runs out of sand. I’m Sean Tubbs, ticking and tocking.
In today’s installment:
Charlottesville Police have warrants out for a man who shot someone from a moving vehicle last night near the intersection of Cherry Avenue and Ridge Street
Charlottesville’s Planning Commission gets an update on the new Development Code
An information session is planned this Sunday for drainage issues at Oakwood Cemetery
Albemarle and Charlottesville both seek additional lifeguards to make sure pools and lakes are fully staffed this summer
Charlottesville City Council adopts a budget that reflects a move toward unionization of the city’s workforce, higher salaries for city employees, and lower education funding from the state due to increasing property values
First shout out: Piedmont Master Gardeners seek items for Green Elephant sale
In today’s first subscriber supported public service announcement: If you are cleaning out your garage, basement or garden shed as spring approaches, the Piedmont Master Gardeners will gladly take any yard and garden equipment you no longer need.
PMG is now accepting donations of new and used tools, hoses, decorative items, outdoor furniture—virtually anything used to create, maintain and enjoy a garden. These “Green Elephants” will be offered for sale to the public during PMG’s Spring Plant Sale. Donated items may be dropped off at 402 Albemarle Square between 10 a.m. and noon on Tuesdays and Saturdays through the end of April. PMG is not able to accept plastic pots or opened chemicals. To arrange a pickup or for more information, contact the Piedmont Master Gardeners at greenelephant@piedmontmastergardeners.org.
As for that sale? Mark your calendar for Saturday, May 4, at Albemarle Square Shopping Center.
Charlottesville Police issue warrants for arrest in Tuesday night shooting
Charlottesville Police Department responded to another shots fired call last night just after 7 p.m., this time with the call coming from Prospect Avenue. When they arrived, they found someone hit with a bullet with non-life-threatening injuries.
Detectives have issued a warrant for Corinthian “Zayquan” Brown on charges of malicious wounding, shooting from a vehicle, maliciously shooting from a vehicle, and use of a firearm during a malicious wounding.
“Further investigation revealed that the shooting actually occurred at the intersection of Cherry Ave and Ridge St, which was confirmed by evidence found at that scene,” reads a press release sent out today announcing the warrants.
This incident was the 29th shots-fired event in Charlottesville so far this year.
Last week, Charlottesville recorded its first homicide of 2024 with the murder by firearm of Deqwane Brown on April 9. They issued a warrant for a suspect who turned himself in on Monday. Sidney Montecellus Stinnie is now being held at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail.
Planning Commission gets update on implementation of Development Code
Charlottesville’s new Development Code has been in effect for two months and so far there have been no applications for major developments. Staff in the Department of Neighborhood Services continue to process a handful of applications submitted under the old rules.
The city Planning Commission met frequently in late 2023 to make their recommendations to the new rules which significantly increase the development rights of most properties across the city’s 10.4 square miles. However, they’ve not had a single work session in 2024.
“We’re kind of slowly getting ourselves back into that because we were meeting once or twice a week for a number of months,” said Missy Creasy, the deputy director at NDS.
Creasy said that the planning team has been working with developers in pre-application meetings for future projects that will be built under the new rules.
“We’ve definitely found some things that we need to work on to try and see if we can get projects to fruition but it’s been very fruitful,” Creasy said.
Creasy said there are currently no plans for any projects to come before the Planning Commission in the next few months. There will be a public hearing on May 14 on recommendations on how to spend the city’s allocation of Community Development Block Grant funding. On April 9, the Planning Commission reviewed the design of Verve Charlottesville as the Entrance Corridor Review Board.
Creasy’s boss at NDS is James Freas, who has been recently been promoted to be the Deputy City Manager for Operations.
“I will remain as interim director of NDS until we fill that position and that position has been advertised,” Freas said.
Take a look at the position here if you want to know what the person will be expected to do. Starting salary begins at $130,000 a year and pays up to $174.720 annually.
Freas also said there would be a new position of planning manager that will soon be advertised. One task for this new position will be revamp the way staff approaches the development review process under the new rules.
Charlottesville holding another session on Oakwood Cemetery drainage issues
Anytime it rains of a sufficient quantity, standing water begins to rise in the southeastern corner of Oakwood Cemetery, one of two graveyards run by the City of Charlottesville. The city hired the firm Line and Grade last December to investigate.
“The forensic investigation concluded that the low-lying, wet conditions were the result of multiple hydrologic and hydraulic factors related to the development history at Oakwood Cemetery,” reads a press release from the city.
Hosea Mitchell sits on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee and gave an update to the Charlottesville Planning Commission on April 9.
“There is or at least used to be a little stream that ran through all around the park and we believe… that the drain that we built to manage that stream is broken,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell said the city is consulting with engineers to solve the issue but any work performed must respect the gravesites. The public can find out more information at a meeting to be held on April 24 at 6 p.m. in CitySpace.
Planning underway to secure lifeguards for summer pool season
Since the pandemic, labor shortages have made it difficult for many industries to get back to full capacity. That’s especially applied to aquatics and the need to full staff pools with people who can provide assistance to those having trouble swimming.
That’s a problem again in Charlottesville according to Planning Commissioner Hosea Mitchell who sits on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.
“We are worried that we may not be able to open full-time, all the pools open full-time, during the coming season,” Mitchell said.
Riann Anthony, the city’s interim parks and recreation director, said in an email that he is hoping to recruit between 15 and 20 additional lifeguards.
Mitchell said recruitment efforts are underway. According to the city’s jobs page, there are two classifications for lifeguard and one at the higher level can make up $40,560 a year if they work as lifeguard full-time. (look up the job)
Albemarle County is also seeking lifeguards for their beaches and offer a bonus of up to $550. They’ll also help cover the cost to become certified.
“We need your help guarding our swimming lakes and at Chris Greene, Mint Springs and Walnut Creek Lake Parks,” reads a notice sent out earlier this month.
Pay for starting lifeguards begins at $16 an hour and head lifeguards get $18.
Second shout-out: Charlottesville Jazz Society
In today’s second subscriber supported public service announcement, the Charlottesville Jazz Society wants you to know that once a month they hold the Local Jazz Spotlight Series at Miller’s on the Downtown Mall.
Coming up on Sunday, April 28, the spotlight will shone on Greg Weaver and the Jazz Collective with Greg Weaver on sax, Gabe Planas on keys and Garrett Moore on drums. This takes place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and the event is free. Maybe I’ll see you there as I’ve been wanting to go see one of these for months!
But that’s just one of many great events coming up that you can learn about on the event calendar at cvillejazz.com.
No one comments during public hearing on personal property tax rate increase
Charlottesville City Council voted 4-0 on Monday to adopt a $253 million general fund budget based on revenues powered by an increase in all four of the taxes under control of locally elected officials.
Council adopted the budget after a public hearing on a 20 cent increase in the personal property tax rate that was not included as part of the budget recommended by City Manager Sam Sanders in early March. Councilor Natalie Oschrin raised the idea on April 1 to signal the city’s desire to deprioritize automobile usage.
No one spoke about the public hearing required for the tax rate increase. The legally mandated hearings had already been held for the two cent increase in the real estate tax, the one percent increase in the lodging tax rate, and a half percent increase in the meals tax. The latter had been anticipated to be at a full percentage point increase but was lowered due to a combination of around $600,000 in additional personal property tax revenue and revenue adjustments.
Though no one spoke at the official public hearing, one person did make a comment at the regular public comment. For many years, Downing Smith appeared frequently and returned to weigh in on one of those taxes.
“My property taxes have gone up 50 percent in the last five years and they’re going to go up ten percent this year,” Smith said. “So in ten years, that means my real property taxes will have doubled. You all talk about sustainable housing, affordable housing. You aren’t getting any more housing if you keep on driving up these rates. The only people who are going to be able to afford homes are the very rich and developers.”
Smith said could reduce the budget by not giving money to nonprofit agencies.
Much of the conversation at an April 4 work session on the budget centered on using a portion of the personal property tax revenue to directly invest in improving the public transit system that’s owned and operated by the City of Charlottesville.
“The amount that’s going to transit is $601,681,” said Krisy Hammill, the city’s budget director. “We put it as a service capacity increase for transit reserved for drivers.”
That’s enough for eight drivers and City Councilor Michael Payne suggested any additional revenue that is surplus go to continue to hire more people to operate Charlottesville Area Transit vehicles.
“We’ve just got to to eleven just to meet pre-pandemic service,” Payne said. “We said coming into this budget cycle transit was top and it ended up falling out so we didn’t get there.”
Payne also said Council is making a mistake increasing the personal property tax rate and meals tax rate and should rely on the real property tax to pay for their priorities and expanding relief programs.
After the budget was adopted, Hamill made a comment that embodies a move to a year-round budget cycle.
“Get ready to start on the next one,” Hammill said.
Mayor Juandiego Wade was absent due to a death in his family.
Keep checking Charlottesville Community Engagement and Information Charlottesville for coverage dedicated to how the city spends its money. To get a sense of it all, check out the archives. No one else covers the community like I do and I pledge to continue doing so.
Reading material:
Albemarle County Public Schools passes collective bargaining resolution, Tamica Jean-Charles, Charlottesville Tomorrow, April 16, 2024
Tiger Fuel announces acquisition of Fredericksburg-based Anderson, CBS19 News, April 16, 2024
Shockoe Bottom computer repair shop powering up Charlottesville expansion, Jack Jacobs, RIchmond Biz Sense, April 16, 2024
Miller School's expansion plans could see the boarding school nearly double its student body, Emily Hemphill, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), April 17, 2024
Charlottesville passes $607M budget with tax hikes and little public pushback, Jason Armesto, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), April 17, 2024
Price of prevention: The B.U.C.K. Squad is frustrated with final VCF allocation, Catie Ratliff, C-Ville Weekly, April 17, 2024
Change of plans? Approved downtown apartment building may become 160-room hotel, Sean Tubbs, C-Ville Weekly, April 17, 2024
Charges dropped against motorist who struck, killed pedestrian in Albemarle County, Hawes Spencer, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), April 17, 2024
Say goodbye to #665
People pay me to report on things and since July 2020 I’ve been using this Substack newsletter to get things out. Segments then go to Information Charlottesville. I am implementing the vision I had in 2005 when I created a podcast website but didn’t really have the reporting chops.
Today is the 17th anniversary of going to work for the nonprofit organization where I got the experience to do what I am doing now. When my second marriage broke up in December 2008, my boss told me “well, at least you have a job” and so I poured myself into work and have never looked back. I regret not standing up for my vision of journalism in the winter of 2018 when that boss moved on. The wilderness years out of reporting were painful.
Though my audience and reach may be small, I take this role seriously, even though I joke a lot and use humor to make sure my ego remains tiny. There’s nothing special about me except my dedication to a profession that used to be more prevalent. I have a deep sense of responsibility to keep going and it’s this or working a grocery store in Pennsylvania.
I am grateful to those who are paying to keep me going to avoid that outcome. I’m grateful to have been able to devote my life to a skill I believe communities need people to practice.
If you pay for a subscription through Substack, Ting will match your initial payment! And if your location is eligible for service and you sign up and use the promo code COMMUNITY, you’ll receive:
Free installation
A second month for free
A $75 gift card to the Downtown Mall
