ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke City’s recommended budget will be presented to the City Council on Monday, March 24, at 2 p.m. It will contain several items, from school to street maintenance funding.
10 News has reached out to Roanoke City as there have been some discussions about potential budget cuts. However, the city said in an email: “The City’s recommended budget is still in development and will be presented to City Council on Monday. Until that time, any discussion of potential budget changes, including tax adjustments, would be premature.”
We also reached out to Roanoke City Mayor Joe Cobb. He said in an email “As we have not yet received the proposed budget for FY25/26, I am not yet able to fully discuss any budget-related adjustments or cuts. Our city manager and budget committee have worked very carefully and thoughtfully to create a reasonable, transparent, and thorough budget review and proposed budget.”
In a council meeting on March 3, it was projected the city would receive more than $402,289,00, which is a $23,183,000 increase aimed at supporting things like Roanoke City schools, street maintenance, and even salaries.
Roanoke City Manager Valmarie Turner said this year’s budget will be hard because the spending is outpacing the money being brought in.
With this, Roanoke City Public Schools expects to see millions of dollars of cuts.
RELATED: New document from Roanoke City Schools gives insight, raises questions about ongoing budget talks
The school division receives its funding from two main sources, the city and the state.
Roanoke City Public Schools Superintendent Verletta White said during the meeting earlier this month that the school division could face up to $9 million in funding shortages from multiple areas.
At least $2 million of the shortfall is due to an expected decrease in state and federal funding.
The remainder could come from what’s called “level funding.” This means schools are receiving the same dollar as last year, without any adjustments for inflation or increased costs.
The school division said it may have to increase class size and eliminate vacant positions at schools and central offices.
10 News spoke with a member of the Roanoke City PTA, who has two kids in Roanoke City Schools.
“I have a child that receives special ed services, and I’m very concerned that that will be at risk. There’s already a decreased funding in that, and so that’s a worry,” said Jessie Coffman.
Mayor Cobb said in an email that he has this message for parents when it comes to the possibility of budget cuts:
“Education has been and will continue to be a top priority for the city. The city manager asked the school district to present a level-funded budget.”
10 News also asked him what the city is doing about the city’s spending outpacing revenue.
He said in an email: “We are looking into additional revenue sources for the city, while also addressing areas where we can reduce spending.”
During the March 3 meeting, Roanoke City said it’s looking at deferring capital maintenance for things including elevators and electrical maintenance, which could address $4 to $6 million a year.
One solution is raising the meals tax by one percent. The meals tax is paid by you every time you eat out in Roanoke City, and restaurants give this money to the city in return.
Davenport & Co. Co-Director David Rose said doing this would bring in about $4 million a year.
“The meals tax for the moment going towards city-related deferred maintenance,” said Rose.
Turner said a priority is bringing all city employees up to a livable wage. She said this could cost almost $2 million.
Turner wasn’t available for an interview but sent the following statement:
“The City of Roanoke’s budget is currently in development, and this process requires careful consideration to ensure that resources are allocated effectively to meet the needs of our community, including vital services such as public safety, infrastructure and education, as well as employee compensation. As we continue refining the budget, things remain fluid, and we are working diligently to balance priorities in a way that best serves our residents, businesses and schools. The proposed budget will be presented to City Council on March 24, at which point further details will be available.”
Again, the recommended budget will be presented on Monday, March 24, at 2 pm.
Mayor Cobb said the city will have two community meetings scheduled for April 10 and 17, a public hearing on April 21, a City Council budget workshop on May 5, and the budget will be adopted on May 12.
