Charlottesville staff report $774,263 in new revenues; council weighs allocations and process for strategic fund

City staff told Charlottesville City Council members at a work session that revised revenue estimates add $774,263 to the proposed fiscal year budget, and presented options for allocating that money to council discretionary priorities.

Chrissy Hamlin, a city budget staff member, said the revisions include changes to personal property tax, vehicle rental and a downward revision to the plastic bag tax; business and professional license (BPOL) receipts were higher than projected, producing most of the supplemental revenue. "We do have supplemental revenue over and above the proposed budget of $774,263," Hamlin said.

Todd Divers, Commissioner of the Revenue, told councilors BPOL revenues are difficult to forecast because large taxpayers can swing totals: "The nature of BPOL is that it rolls in at one time. It's due on March 1," Divers said, noting the city waited for collections before revising estimates.

Staff proposed using part of the additional revenue to restore or add one-time allocations and to correct an administrative omission that excluded the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center from the city's…