I went to the public hearing on the real estate tax rate held last night. Because of another commitment, I couldn’t stay for the whole thing. After all, more than 100 speakers had signed up and each was being allotted three minutes! I have no idea how long the hearing actually lasted but after the first half hour or so, I’d heard enough, anyway. (Harry Minium of the Virginian-Pilot stayed for the whole 3+ hours.)
Public hearings in Norfolk are always a joke. First, the display of force by the Norfolk Police always makes me feel like I live in someplace other than America. What are they expecting – riots? Has there ever been an hearing unruly enough to justify having so many police officers on hand?
Then there is the response – or should I say, nonresponse – of council. The people speak, and the council sits there like bumps on a log, rarely displaying any indication that what the speaker has said affects them. That’s why I call them the seven, err, eight bumps. Last night, we were back to 7 bumps, as councilman Don Williams was absent. Sitting with them on the stage were the City Manager, the City Attorney, and the City Clerk.
While Randy Wright had on a “$1.08 in 08” button, it was councilman Paul Riddick who received the applause of the 500+ attendees as he wore one of the bright green shirts favored by those in the NTP2 movement. I found it ironic that so many folks that blasted him for his comments on race and sought his ouster as vice mayor now embraced him because he favors something they want.
The target of a lot of the criticism for the rate was City Manager Regina Williams. The first speaker, who happens to live in my neighborhood, blasted her to thunderous applause. What these folks need is a civics lesson: the city manager is an at-will employee of council, meaning she serves at their pleasure. Yes, she proposes a budget, but she does not make the decision on approving it. It is council that does that, it is council that directs her on priorities. If council is not doing their job, place the blame where it belongs – on council.
What saddens me is that the NTP2 has energized folks around a very important issue, yet has failed to inform enough of them about the process. I talked to one man who thought last night’s hearing was about the assessments. He was unaware of the state law that requires assessments to be at 100% of fair market value. The guy sitting next to me was unaware that the city manager’s proposed budget was just that – a proposal that the council could tweak. I talked to others about the good possibility of a homestead exemption coming in 2009. None seemed to be aware of that.
I talked to some of the police officers. They were complaining about the lack of raises – again. We all know how many police officers have left and continue to leave Norfolk because of subpar pay. (And while I didn’t mention it, the school funding is also an issue. See today’s Pilot for an op-ed written by Marian Flickinger.)
More than anything, I talked to folks about the golden opportunity presented to them in May 2006 to elect council members that wold be sympathetic to their cause. Let’s be real – the increase in real estate assessments didn’t just happen this year. It’s been going on for at least the last four years, if not longer. How many of these folks who are now so up in arms even bothered to vote? Given that Norfolk has some 105,000+ registered voters, and only 19,298 voted last May, I’d say the answer is probably “not many.”
Am I upset that my assessment has more than doubled what I paid for my home in 1999? You bet. Do I want a lower rate? You bet. But I also want good schools and to be safe.
Is $1.08 unrealistic? You bet- and, by the way, it’s not 2008. All the foot stomping, hand wringing and accusations won’t change either of those facts. Sure, there might be a way to squeeze another penny or two but that’s about it. Any more than that is unreasonable.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 