There are only seven regular meeting dates remaining until Christiansburg must have adopted a 2009-2010 fiscal budget. Montgomery County, the City of Radford, Roanoke County and City, and Blacksburg have all begun this process -- the General Assembly even managed to get this done on time this year -- and it all looks pretty grim, posing many challenges.
So where are Christiansburg's budget plans?
Don't we have a new $1.3 million line item and several staffing changes to incorporate? Aren't tax revenues down and many businesses laying off or closing here, too?
There have been no budget work sessions, no departmental requests or reports presented, no public hearings scheduled. When one looks at the town's current or past budgets, it is nearly impossible to see how any single expense type has been managed -- what was budgeted, what was actually spent or collected?
In the past, the Town Manager (who is charged by the Town Code for preparing the budget) has stated he likes to do it as late in the fiscal year as possible to ensure "good" numbers.
That's a weak excuse no other local governments try to use. By doing this at the last possible moment with the shortest timeframe, citizen input and understanding is limited and minimized.
The question becomes: Why is this acceptable to council?