Budget votes and Old Takoma parking: The May 11 city council agenda

The Monday evening, May 11 city council meeting will include a first vote on three ordinances: Setting fiscal year 2016 property-tax rates, adopting an FY16 stormwater management budget, and adopting an FY16 budget covering all other aspects of city operations. Second reading votes are scheduled for May 18. Tomorrow evening’s meeting and May 18th’s are your last opportunities to comment prior to adoption of the city’s FY16 budget!

Visit the agenda page for material on each of these items — and you may wish to revisit my April 29 “reconciliation” write-up. I highlighted areas where the council altered City Manager Suzannne Ludlow’s proposed budget, by eliminating certain spending, adding a few items, and putting an extra $100,000 toward the city’s unfunded police pension liability while reducing the property-tax rate increase to 1.5 cents from 2 cents per $100 assessed value. Again, the revenue generated by this increase will go foremost toward a three-year, catch-up phase-in of higher staff pay.

Also on the Monday evening agenda, a Continued Discussion of Parking Adjacent to Commercial Areas.

This discussion is of particular interest for PEN, Victory Tower, and Old Town-Carroll residents in Ward 1, who are most affected by commercial and residential development in Old Takoma, notably the recent opening of Busboys & Poets and the Takoma Central apartments and the start of construction of residential buildings behind the CVS between Maple and Willow Streets NW. Old Takoma residents and business patrons are also affected by the recent conversion of the private lot at Willow and Carroll Avenues to paid parking.

Do consider attending the council meeting — public comment is at 7:30 pm — or send comments by e-mail to clerk@takomaparkmd.gov. And my next twice-monthly drop-in office time will be Tuesday (2nd Tuesday), 5-6 pm, at 7006 Carroll Avenue #202, and after that, May 27 (4th Wednesday), 8-9 am. Or phone me with your thoughts or questions: 301-873-8225.

Seth