This Tuesday was better than most. A special meeting of Asheville City Council was called to update the public on the city’s response to the fuel and economic “crises.†(Quotation marks are used because in spite of it all, the sun continues to shine.)
The star of the meeting was City Manager Gary Jackson who spoke candidly and intelligently. He said the city expected to fall about a quarter million dollars short on revenues. Property tax growth was down from 3.3% (10-year average) to 2.0%. Sales tax growth was down from 7.0% (4-year average) to 2.0%. Powell Bill revenue was down 9.0% (from an undefined baseline). Inflation was exorbitant. Worst, as Councilman Dr. Carl Mumpower pointed out, the state was likely going to make cuts, the effect of which in Jackson’s terms, “would roll downhill.â€
The city was working to manage the shortfall. The Budget Department’s recommendations for cutbacks, in anticipation of a tightening economy, were generally adopted during the budget process. Staff had also had the foresight to take out only fixed- rate loans. Now, the city is encouraging staff to telecommute or work four ten-hour shifts when possible. Staff is being downsized through hiring freezes. If the economy continues to be challenging, Jackson said he is going to have to discuss with council “right-sizing†departments. Unlike leadership in Buncombe County, Jackson acknowledged that the need for public safety increases in tight economies, so he would not be imposing across-the-board, percentage department cuts.
Kudos were given on the city’s web site, and many said they learned a lot about how to do things better for future crisis operations. Mumpower advised his peers not to give advice. He liked government giving people facts, but wanted his peers to respect individuals’ rights to make their own decisions about how to deal with problems. Further, some recent government advice was downright insulting. For example, people waiting two hours in gas lines were not there to top off their tanks.
