The Alexandria City Council race is heating up with disagreements over how to budget for the city fueling the debate.
Of the 11 candidates for the six available at-large seats, the five Republicans have signed a pledge to limit the budget to a 3 percent spending increase next year, or an additional $17 million over last year’s budget, said Lou Cordia, founder of Alexandrians for a Three Percent Compromise.
The only Democratic candidate who is not an incumbent, Tim Lovain, did not sign the agreement. The five Democratic incumbents said they would work toward a 5 percent spending increase in this year’s budget.
“The policy choice is to have the city live with a reasonable 3 percent increase because family budgets are actually having to be cut to pay for that increase,” Cordia said.
“I think this issue has crossed that political party line,” said Bernard Schulz, a Republican candidate. “[Voters] are outraged at the fiscal irresponsibility of this council in addressing the property tax issue and spending.”
Schulz said the city should not cover 100 percent of city employees’ health care. It should also audit every department and control school spending, he said.
But committing to a 3 percent ceiling a year ahead of time is “a heavy-handed” and “meat-ax approach to city budgeting,” said Lovain, the current chair of the city’s Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee.
Lovain agreed with Schulz that cutting health care costs and using audits would reduce city spending. He added that reducing personnel, diversifying revenue sources, expanding the commercial tax base and budgeting based on the prior year’s budget would help set specific spending targets.
Signing the petition “shows a lack of understanding” and is “a one-term gimmick that could, in my opinion, make things worse,” said candidate and current Council Member Paul Smedberg.
He said the $20 million Metro Matters agreement, transportation issues and unfunded mandates are some areas that drive the budget, but cannot be met under a 3 percent cap.
