Budget Comments 2011, Alexandria, VA. by J. Glenn Eugster.

Glenn Eugster (user 91) - Comments by Date

Thanks for the opportunity to provide you with comments on the 2011 budget for the City of Alexandria. Let me begin by saying that as a homeowner and former public servant I appreciate the effort that each of you put into managing our city. Over time I’ve been struck by how difficult, complicated and seemingly thankless your work is. Whether it is an elected or government position, public service does require a different mindset and perspective. Each of you should know that many of us are grateful for what you do, and what you try to do.

With that said, my comments only reflect my small window on budget management within the city. I’ve lived in the city for over 21 years and have served on the board of two homeowners associations, the Open Space Steering Committee, and the Northern VA Conservation Trust. Although my background is fairly broad-based my focus for many years has been parks, open space, outdoor recreation, fundraising and revenue generation. It is in these areas that I will offer some suggestions that might help you as you prepare and approve our budget.

First, everyone needs to know that governments like ours never have enough money. Although taxes, grants, fees, and other sources of money are considerable there is never enough money to do everything that needs to be done, when it needs to be done. By virtue of these limits some things are more important than others. I hope that you will continue to support the basic health and safety services the city provides. I also hope that you will refrain from funding new initiatives but rather put money toward protecting and maintaining things that we have now.

Second, perhaps as much as you need to cut services to meet your budget you also need to improve the management of your existing departments. Wasting money is probably worse than not having all the funds we need to do what needs to be done.

Over the last two years I’ve been encouraged by your managers to carry park, open space, health and safety problems to each of you. Over and over again city employees are reluctant to work with community interests on anything other than what they want to do. They often use a lack of time and, or money, as their rationale for saying no, dismissing ideas shared with them, or steering citizens toward you to solve problems. Unfortunately I have found that some of the city’s agendas do not reflect community needs and interests, and these ideas have not been vetted publicly. A good number of these ideas are frankly wrong-headed and without concern for the public that these individuals are paid to serve.

Many of these bad decisions have resulted in projects and work that needs to be redone, and sometimes redone again, because of a lack of permits, poor or no planning, or a disregard for the interest of the public. On some occasions past Recreation Department directors have almost bragged about how more than 120 of the city’s parks don’t have plans and that in order to do a plan they needs lots of money. Such a perspective makes it hard for me to understand how current and future funds for these areas can ever be invested wisely.

For example, the lack of up-to-date master plan for Fort Ward Park has cost the city funds that could have been better used protecting important historic resources and providing important recreation services. Park solid waste transfer stations and maintenance yards have been developed without permits and public input only to be relocated when these uses conflict with neighbors, graves, laws, and common-sense. Drainage swales and ravines have been filled with soil, mulch, and debris without regard to the consequences of altering drainage areas and the cost of restoring these areas given they were filled without permits.

As we struggle to figure out how we can protect, maintain and provide services at parks like Fort Ward I see money given annually and non-competitively to non-profit organizations to promote the protection and acquisition of more city park land. Surely the goal of open space planning is one I support but is paying a consultant from outside the city to supplement city staff an effective way to achieve this goal?

I observe other efforts, such as the promotion of very large “special events” in parks under the guise of revenue generation. Although public agencies should look at ways to save money as well as generate revenue some of the city’s revenue generation strategies, such as the ones at Fort Ward Park, have cost the city money rather than bring in new revenues. More often than not many public servants will try to pursue revenue generation without the knowledge, skills and expertise to successfully do so.

I’ve observed problems with maintenance in our parks, such as Chinquapin Park. I’ve observed that the city has been unable to maintain these areas due to budget cuts, but we have given a non-profit group a grant/ contract to sponsor invasive plant removal projects in that same area only to have the plants they have pulled remain in a pile at the entrance to the park trail for what is now six months.

Finally, the city managers, as well as some of you at times, seem to treat citizen interest and involvement in our park areas with a certain amount of resistance and on occasion contempt. Given that many of us know the demands that are placed on you and city staff we often try to give all of you some slack as you do your jobs. However, the tension that is created between some of your antagonistic city staff and the community they serve costs them and us time and money.

By driving away, or at least keeping the citizens at arms-length also costs the city funds in other ways. For example, I have repeatedly made offers to members of your Recreation Department to share my skills and experience in the areas of fundraising and revenue generation without a hint of interest or even willingness to listen. Whether it is disdain or a dismissive nature this behavior undermines a relationship that could help the city help itself to get things accomplished and save money.

In closing, please be sure that I appreciate what you do and I wish you success with the resolution of the budget. Please look to ways to eliminate wasteful spending, tap the unrealized potential of the citizenry, and bring substantive revenue sharing expertise into city government to help meet the financial challenges you face. Please do not, under any circumstances, raise our taxes to meet needs and perpetuate the waste which goes on now.

Thanks again for the chance to comment.

Glenn

Glenn Eugster

4022 Ellicott Street

Alexandria, VA 22304