[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6627971,"mediaKeyId","2723056-3813a8a752cec34ee3624e8340b454af","parentId",2723056,"title","City presents debt and CIP outlook as council weighs downtown mall, parks and Riverview projects","audioSeconds",451,"startMs",4537000,"endMs",4086000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2723056-3813a8a752cec34ee3624e8340b454af&start=4537&end=4086","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2723056-3813a8a752cec34ee3624e8340b454af/thumbnail_4537000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6627971/Charlottesville/Albemarle-County/Virginia/City-presents-debt-and-CIP-outlook-as-council-weighs-downtown-mall-parks-and-Riverview-projects","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6627971-366cc672fc3979c411a948dd3a312d17/orig.mp4?Expires=1770416387&Signature=JrkJt5PxLdc~cFDyPiCrJJpXc0CaeeimeNaK6dwgzrsVdmuPjIv3RrLfgNdN3yamuUuO2~f5QsBjs0~zJ-X8bmqXJb~sfVT5f1iilURdjA4v8MWUZE9LrzfS~8pP3GoHANsl~nEHhrckgcbfYGKzBjtu9gBeBzE3vRqOBNT2atCLbpAOPhLxs8WZu3z32aHNLimdwqUKcwv56tHN6~o6k-9KItnZRmrS8h0ismRKAlrpfDDKWa3zaREQT7hfoHzmoSKA-pD7a~4hW4S7bDM7kL8Cz0-zKnXyKzoztBBLO2Vj-ej~siAf36wqdnYtgrfpcNxUnc4Z3vbDROYD4~NRhg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Charlottesville","date","2025-03-21T00:36:40.46Z","article","City Manager Sam Sanders and budget staff presented an updated debt profile and a snapshot of the capital‑improvement program (CIP) at the March 20 meeting, framing long‑term borrowing and near‑term capital priorities for council discussion ahead of next week's CIP work session.

Sanders said the city will carry roughly $191 million in outstanding debt at the end of the fiscal year and noted the current annual debt‑service payment is about $17.9 million, which he characterized as \"just a little over 7% of the FY25 total general fund budget.\" The presentation showed the city's debt service and general‑fund projections over multiple years and emphasized that projected new borrowing for the CIP would grow debt‑service needs faster than general‑fund growth unless council prioritizes and sequences projects.

Staff highlighted several near‑term capital items that councilors and the public asked to keep on the radar:

- Downtown Mall infrastructure and pedestrian lighting (staff identified roughly $728,000 in available project funds in the CIP for infrastructure improvements and lighting).
- A proposed seed contribution (staff suggested $50,000–$100,000 as a placeholder) toward the Dogwood Veterans Memorial project to leverage a recently located $600,000 state contribution and to support necessary engineering and fundraising for the park and pedestrian access improvements.
- Riverview Park: staff and councilors discussed a proposed study regarding parking and access; staff said stormwater/erosion work (a $250,000 item discussed separately) would be funded from the stormwater enterprise fund rather than general CIP cash.
- Event support: staff noted a $20,000 commitment for the TomTom Festival block party and possible additional city absorption of police costs for the event; the city is also beginning planning and budgeting conversations for the city's 250th anniversary events next summer.

Sanders asked councilors to identify which CIP line items they wanted to explore in greater detail at next week’s session. He cautioned that some funds in the CIP are earmarked or funded by restricted sources, so swapping them for operating dollars or other priorities is not always a straightforward one‑to‑one exchange.

Ending: Staff will bring more detailed CIP material and a running tally of council priorities to the next work session; the presentation was intended to guide sequencing and funding decisions rather than to authorize changes on March 20.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Community Budget Forum and FY26 City Budget Public Hearing (3/20/2025)","oneSentenceSummary","City Manager Sam Sanders and budget staff presented an updated debt profile and a snapshot of the CIP at the March 20 meeting, framing long‑term borrowing and near‑term capital priorities for council discussion.","taxTitle","Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Virginia","taxId",4418,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6627976,"Council considers off‑cycle Vibrant Communities Fund allocations for homelessness, eviction prevention and veterans memorial",2863,3167000,6030000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2723056-3813a8a752cec34ee3624e8340b454af&start=3167&end=6030","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2723056-3813a8a752cec34ee3624e8340b454af/thumbnail_3167000.jpg","/articles/6627976/Charlottesville/Albemarle-County/Virginia/Council-considers-offcycle-Vibrant-Communities-Fund-allocations-for-homelessness-eviction-prevention-and-veterans-memorial","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6627976-ccf3e2f1229576aaad24dcd2803ce2c7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770416387&Signature=K3vkI9KAGyXp3JT-uUYYtFfGC6~PHOCaBoPbHqblvppasWcSg-FO7WX7xHAv2u-MlTj7ZUjWdpVtwMIfilM0P9kEoSYydrLUULn5vT4IxiBxCgbvYz30MpTagp9z1A7auQsiZvaaWjTb6bmwV~5aEFSyIQHQyJ9BjZAi56RqR9wdxOklk2UcSQwpsUxij5iWP7mWtsFrqGUV8h6orouzYAG2uIeZxg9oiQZpIhvkd0vKt2E5glTY0g1S3HW-Z7Jj3kxP0wsaG0NTu6RmXdBttWVyTSGwbe06VjMWTQNzQ2BQNmI~qMJKd7SLo0SIhi7Jd3358iY9IAwr6lvrsuyANQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City Manager Sam Sanders told the City Council on March 20 that staff had identified roughly $1 million in flexible funds that could be repurposed or added to the existing Vibrant Communities Fund (VCF) and other council‑directed pots. The funds come from a mix of an increase to the strategic initiatives fund, reallocated CIP balances and a reduced ACRJ (regional jail) financing amount.

Two off‑cycle requests were flagged as urgent in staff materials: a $250,000 gap to cover lost BRAC (Blue Ridge Area Coalition for the Homeless) grant funds that would otherwise leave a six‑month service interruption, and a Piedmont Housing Alliance (PHA) eviction‑prevention request that included $62,000 for staff salaries and a separate $50,000 request for direct cash assistance. Sanders told the council the staff recommendation was to treat BRAC’s need as an emergency and that PHA’s staff‑salary component was higher priority than the cash‑assistance portion.

Public speakers asked the council to reconsider funding cuts and to restore programs. Several nonprofit leaders and advocates appeared during the public‑comment period:

- Daniela Pretzer (identified in the transcript as executive director) asked the council to reconsider funding for community mediation training that had been cut from the Vibrant Communities Fund; the Mediation Center said 17 community residents had started training and the program faces curtailment without additional dollars. Brian Nagel, on the Mediation Center board, also urged extending the training funding.
- Speakers associated with Bridgeline (an organization serving people with brain injuries) described residential and day programs and urged restoration of previously cut funding. Cliff Selcher and a second speaker who identified as Daniela (roles noted in the transcript) described personal benefit from the organization's services and asked councilors to restore funding.
- Representatives of Meals on Wheels and other nonprofits described sharply rising demand and appealed for budget support for core services.
- Speakers from the People’s Coalition opposed the proposed jail expansion and argued funds should be redirected to housing and community supports instead.

Council discussion focused on triage and priorities rather than final allocations. Sanders outlined a proposed increase to the strategic initiatives fund (also described as council‑directed funding) from about $360,000 to $500,000 by reallocating $140,000 and other identified balances. He said an off‑cycle request process will allow staff to accept and hold proposals for consideration. \"You have a standing strategic initiatives fund today. That fund has roughly $360,000 in it right now. I have recommended within the budget an increase of a hundred and 40,000, therefore making it 500,000,\" Sanders said.

Councilors gave preliminary indications of support for several items, including BRAC and the Piedmont Housing Alliance staff salaries; some councilors also expressed interest in a seed contribution to the Dogwood Veterans Memorial and modest increases for specific arts and social‑service agencies. Sanders said staff had discovered a spreadsheet error in the VCF recommendations for Bridgeline and proposed adding $37,040 to correct that award; the corrected Bridgeline total would be about $56,000 and Sanders said that correction did not need to come from the $1 million discretionary pool because it was a staff computing error.

Ending: Council did not make final allocations at the March 20 meeting; members asked staff to return a revised running tally and funding table before the budget deadlines so councilors could make final decisions during upcoming sessions.","City Manager Sam Sanders told the City Council on March 20 that staff had identified roughly $1 million in flexible funds that could be repurposed or added to the Vibrant Communities Fund and other council‑directed pots.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6627981,"Residents urge council to fund 80 CAT bus drivers to reduce long wait times",4748,446000,5194000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2723056-3813a8a752cec34ee3624e8340b454af&start=446&end=5194","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2723056-3813a8a752cec34ee3624e8340b454af/thumbnail_446000.jpg","/articles/6627981/Charlottesville/Albemarle-County/Virginia/Residents-urge-council-to-fund-80-CAT-bus-drivers-to-reduce-long-wait-times","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6627981-d9be4b9cdc06cd891b9418c5e72a23c2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770416387&Signature=DmFbWAPKuHpvfJP8CVZqjYqD~rDzM7avBK9GeYyq8Cc2tzd3JwCi4KIkRAzT3NddHj1U7zd3GSwlLd9X6hTim9EwIeETgnUfPmZ2cI7emR4WkfDDmea3YM~GOsgk28w9mXlwYk3lHVH2seu-09v9MJwU8GxWLRC8-RdFckhJ8tTJ8ulm8v3rLLxT8Wg93kAqnw-Kg-FI1wieb5eu8hBMyv3MlIvGcN8CyOyi0AgHuEqVxNWR0TWkPOvOpKkgHGabPdQqtbiE7Gd2s5nHDhYEuzFBBexWjOwqrgvsqQFIBwPriccf3xzn4XglRImtn90b~BXnoxB1mylf4Q01bs1jTQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of residents spoke at the Charlottesville City Council special work session on March 20, urging the council to fund more CAT (Charlottesville Area Transit) bus drivers so that routes meet a 30‑minute wait standard.

The petitioners — riders, clergy and health‑care providers — said long and unpredictable waits make it difficult for people to get to jobs, medical appointments and other daily needs. \"I ask that you make every effort to fund 80 bus drivers in the fiscal year 2026 budget,\" said Suzanne Bailey, identifying herself as a resident and a member of the interfaith advocacy group Impact, citing a CAT director goal to reduce wait times to 30 minutes on all routes.

Why it matters: Riders and service providers said unreliable transit increases car trips, worsens access for people with disabilities or limited funds, and raises public‑health and equity concerns. Pastor Alex Joyner, who said he regularly rides the 5 and 7 lines, told the council: \"Without regular wait times ... that's where the growth needs to happen.\" Dr. Mary Preston, who said patients sometimes hike up steep streets because stops are distant, warned chronic long waits can harm patients' health.

City staff described budget constraints and the reasons the current draft did not include the full set of new driver positions residents want. City Manager Sam Sanders said the proposed budget absorbs a higher local cost for transit in this year’s proposal and called attention to two factors that raised costs: the expiration of certain flexible federal COVID funds that had previously reduced local match requirements, and newly budgeted collective‑bargaining costs. \"While we did not make an investment in additional drivers,\" Sanders said in the meeting, \"you are making a significant increase in what it costs you for a transit service locally.\" He also described a one‑time local increase to the city’s transit match this year and said the county’s local match increased as well.

Councilors and staff discussed next steps rather than voting on a change to the draft budget that night. Sanders said staff will provide further numbers and a revenue update before the council must adopt a final budget in April. Several speakers urged immediate action by councilors to allocate funds in the FY26 budget, while staff and councilors noted hiring constraints: vacancies take months to fill even after funding is approved.

Ending: The council did not adopt new driver funding that evening. Staff committed to return with updated vacancy and cost figures before the budget closing and asked councilors to prioritize whether to use discretionary funds or seek other budget offsets in order to add driver positions in a future step.","Dozens of residents spoke at the Charlottesville City Council special work session on March 20, urging the council to fund more CAT (Charlottesville Area Transit) bus drivers so that routes meet a 30‑minute wait standard.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City presents debt and CIP outlook as council weighs downtown mall, parks and Riverview projects

Council considers off‑cycle Vibrant Communities Fund allocations for homelessness, eviction prevention and veterans memorial

Residents urge council to fund 80 CAT bus drivers to reduce long wait times