Author | Lightnews

RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

@unroll.skywriter.blue unroll please!

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

😭😭😭

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

@threadreaderapp.bsky.social unroll

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

Abubaker, Trammell, and Lynch were still no.

Okay well I have to duck out because my son doesn’t want to go to bed without me. Soooooo this is where this meeting live tweet ends. Good night! 🧜‍♀️

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

Now they are calling for the vote on the $1.16 first:

Breton- No
Jordan- No
Gibson- Abstain
Abubaker- Aye
Lynch- Aye
Robertson- No
Newbille: No
Trammell: Aye
Jones: No

Now for $1.20 it’s still a Gibson abstention but it passes otherwise.

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

Doesn’t see us reducing a tax rate right now because of all the variables including external variables. But looks forward to doing due diligence where we can have that discussion.

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

Okay I’m back. Newbille says we can’t underestimate the federal impact. Major obligations. CIP projects. So we say okay we maybe have $17M in surplus but we don’t know. Need to collect the $30M but that wont address the issues before us.

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

Newbille is speaking now.

I’m honestly not super focused because my son is back hanging out with me before he goes to bed.

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

Says they aren’t voting blindly because they knew when they voted for the budget. Cites the convo from informal about lowering poverty rate. Isn’t willing to bet on what services get cut. This convo needs to continue happening. Get serious about priorities. 🧜‍♀️

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

this is not the place for it. Not voting for it tonight because she made a choice when she voted for the budget. Wants to be clear that what someone votes doesn’t diminish being there for the people. Want to see if what they’re doing is moving the closer to equity and nothing shows that.

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

Now Nicole Jones is speaking. Says she knew what the tax rate and assessments were in January. She’s already heard people talk about new projects and things they want to do not related to any of the issues at hand. Keeping people in houses or decades of catch up. We should be working in tandem and

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

the moral right without having the information to clearly make that claim. Wants to be able to send more $ to schools.

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

vehicles we have as a body to create a process that we can argue and defend either way. Wants to be able to defend it but the info is simply not there. Understands moral argument of being safe but we’re talking about 10s of millions of dollars. Doesn’t believe she can take the position of being in

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

Can be thoughtful looking forward and responsible looking back. We should allow more time. We should have the surplus data for this decision. Every other year theyve had this data. Why are they voting earlier. Why is info available later. So she plans to abstain. Commitment is to look and see what

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

Gibson is now reading city code about the surplus. It seems unlikely that we would be able to put the money to use in the way the city needs. she’s going to abstain. Needs to know what rate they need to get to $503M. There is nothing to stop council or city from developing 2 versions of budget.

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

things. Without having the necessary information to complete her homework assignment and would feel like a fraud. Prior to her being on council they voted to extend the deadline on the surplus. Not getting it until November 15th so they don’t have the info they need to make this decision. 🧜‍♀️

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

When they were working on budget, she remembers feeling like there is more $$$ to be working with. So question today is what does the tax rate need to be to get to the $503M. Also don’t know what surplus is. Would love to vote for $1.20. But based on city code the $ isn’t going to deliver on those

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

Then that was returned back to the public. The rest of the surplus didn’t go to schools or salary increases for contract workers or any number of services. That surplus is defined in city code: 90% goes into reserve funds.

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

Gibson is now speaking about how when she knocked doors the unifying message was people are spending more and services are not improving. Takes message to heart. Where is money going. Says in FY2024 there was a $43M surplus. Of that $17M came through an excess of revenue.

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

Says we don’t have the votes. It’s as easy as that. But the conversation it’s important to the people. And for many years the conversation was glossed over or didn’t happen. Thinks people still aren’t participating in this process. Wants to continue having these conversations.

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

Says all she’s hearing about on council is more apartments. Let’s be clear what we are investing in as a city. Hopes you can stay in a house you buy with assessments that have gone up. Speaks on her own assessment going up $1K/mo. Says city is a rent gouger as well.

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

react to what is happening. Says SEIU being here tells her they’re worried about getting $20/hour for contracted workers and they think this will be it. She hopes this will be it. Hopes the same for fire fighters. RPS. Hopes when it comes time for their bill to be paid, they get their $.

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

Abubaker has no question but Trammell wants to speak as a patron. First wants to complete the sentence for both of these bills. Each says “And increasing such rate from the rollback rate of $1.14.” In both cases we are raising your real estate taxes. The disclosure’s intention is that we would

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

Says part of why he is here is to get us there. The squeeze is on those things that are not core services but help the growth of the city. EG affordable housing. Doesn’t disagree and needs to find solution.

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RVADirt @rvadirt.bsky.social · 9d

Wants to budget to a lower tax rate going forward to give Pennies back to people.

Donald says 27% growth in budget and mostly in operational budget. Does not highlight historic investments in RPS that have given historic results.

City’s goal is to save 20% (3 months). We aren’t there.

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