Total Disregard of Citizens Evident at Budget Hearing

Arrogant.

That’s been the word I’ve heard most often to describe the demeanor of both Mayor Will Sessoms and Vice-Mayor Louis Jones at last evening’s budget hearing.

The focus of the meeting was the taking of $8.8 million from the reserves of the Virginia Beach School Board, funds which were earmarked by the board to be used to offset likely cuts in funding for the 2011-12 school year. The idea to take the funds from schools and use it for city projects, an animal shelter and new rec center, was the brainchild of Louis Jones, and was readily supported by Mayor Sessoms.

The cuts were a last minute inclusion, and were added after the school board had completed and submitted its budget for council approval. Last week, an emergency meeting of the board was held, and a resolution was passed opposing the cuts. Earlier this week, a meeting was held to, as reported, find a compromise. At the end of the meeting, no compromise was found. Both Sessoms and Jones continued to defend the taking of the money from schools, and Dan Edwards, Chair of the School Board, gave up and bowed down to the demands of Sessoms and Jones.

Prior to the vote on the budget last evening, City Council listened to citizen after citizen speak against the taking of the $8.8 million from the schools.

After public comment, Councilwoman Barbara Henley acknowledged the severed relationship between the City Council and the School Board, said that $8.8 million should not be taken from the school reserve due to a lack of understanding concerning the budget process, stressed the importance of creating a financial plan that is sustainable in the future, but also said it would be irresponsible to vote against the proposed budget.

Councilman Bill DeSteph was clear with his opinion that the money should be given back to the schools, and asked that he be allowed to record his support for pieces of the budget but not others. The Mayor answered Desteph by saying, “We’re not going to allow that.”

Vice-Mayor Jones argued that the school reserve fund was being misused by the school board, should never have increased to its present size while maintaining the current tax rate. Immediately after Jones finished his statement, he made the motion to approve the budget with the $8.8 million decrease in school reserves included. The motion was seconded by Councilman James Wood.

Mayor Sessoms spoke prior to the question being called for the vote. He stressed that the 2010-11 School Board budget has been fully funded, and that the City Council and the School Board would work hard to ensure that education is funded in 2011-12.

City Council voted 9-0, with Bill DeSteph abstaining (though he read for the record which parts of the budget he supported and which he did not) and Rita Sweet Bellitto not present, to pass the budget that included the taking of $8.8 million from the school reserve fund.

In addition to the taking of $8.8 million from school reserves, relationship between the City Council and the School Board concerning the development of the budget has also been altered. Instead of a lump sum provided to the School Board based on a revenue sharing formula, the City Council will in the future review each budget category for approval requested by the School Board. This will make budget and spending decisions more difficult due to the inflexibility of moving money from one category to another as needed. Many are seeing this move as a result of this $8.8 million battle between City Council and the School Board, and is a possible way for City Council to keep the School Board from claiming any reserve funds in the future.

I’ve heard a lot about the way Mayor Sessoms bullies council members during meetings, but I think this may be the first time that the general public has seen just how much of a bully he is. As we all know, one way of dealing with a bully is to fight back and show that he can’t get away with it. The citizens of Virginia Beach need to show Mayor Sessoms, Vice-Mayor Jones, and others on the City Council that people aren’t weaklings on the schoolyard to be pushed around. This has caused people to pay attention, and I hope they continue to do so. Our leaders need to be held accountable at the polls on election day, starting with Vice-Mayor Jones this November, and continuing with Mayor Sessoms in 2012.

Related posts:

1. Sessoms and Jones Defend Taking Money from Schools
2. Negotiations between City Council and School Board Fails, Edwards Disappoints
3. City Council Looking to cut $8.8 Million from Schools
4. Offshore Drilling Resolution Threatens Environment and Economy
5. Virginia Beach City Council ponders taxes, fees