Archive for May, 2012

The Virginia Beach City Council successfully executed that two-step manipulation: Pressured the city school board to join in the request for the real estate tax rate increase that council wanted and burying the DeSteph/Moss budget proposal under a substitute motion. Now our Virginia Beach City Council has moved on to the next (creepy – insulting?) manipulation. Read the rest of this entry »

Our Virginia Beach City Council has presented the citizens of Virginia Beach with a perfect example of political manipulation. In a well orchestrated two-step process, Council pressured the city school board to join in the request for the real estate tax rate increase that council wanted. Then several council members conspired to bury the DeSteph/Moss budget proposal under a substitute motion.

Read the rest of this entry »

After the last two Virginia Beach City Council meetings (April 24^th and May 1^st) I can easily imagine many council members saying to the citizens of Virginia Beach, “Well citizens of Virginia Beach, how do you like that?”

During the Virginia Beach City Council meeting of April 24^th , our council said to the citizens we will have a referendum on light rail in November. Don’t like it? Too bad. And, council decided to keep the election process as is. Don’t like it ? Too bad. At the May 1^st meeting, the mayor and a number of council members proposed a $.06 increase in our real estate tax rate. And the mayor claims to have enough votes for that increase. Don’t like it? Too bad.

Getting the message yet?

In your face – citizens of Virginia Beach. It’s Mayor Sessoms way – period.

Take the light rail referendum issue. Have you any idea what that phrase “all reasonable” means? What do you know about light rail – what are the costs? Are benefits to all citizens? Are you, citizens of Virginia Beach, ready to vote on a referendum in November that may obligate you to supporting light rail? Many questions. Can you answer any?

The election process. The discussion is: Change the election process so that only those citizens in each of the seven districts would vote for their district candidate and the at large candidates. The candidates would campaign only in his/her district and be able to campaign with less money. A significant advantage is that the candidate would not have to rely on the well-heeled developers for funds and therefore would not be subject to those same developers when it comes time to vote.

Council wants to keep the process as is.

Real estate taxes. Raising the tax rate from $.89 to $.95 OK with you? Several city council members have said that the Virginia Beach budget can be balanced without raising our real estate taxes. Are you aware of that? Many council members are ready to add a tax increase on top of the other recent fee increases when citizens are already hurting and the continuing decline in assessments (losing value in our homes).

Remember that a light rail referendum, keeping the election process the same and raising our real estate tax rate are all to the advantage of some council members and their developer supporters.

Getting the message yet?

In your face, people.