From Kate Stewart, Mayor of Takoma Park

The City Council has just concluded one of its most important functions – passing a budget. The City’s budget is a quantitative expression of our plans for the upcoming year. It embodies in dollars and cents the goals and priorities we are working toward.

The Process: How We Get a Budget

Every year in early April, the City Manager submits a recommended budget to the City Council for the upcoming fiscal year beginning July 1. The Proposed Budget is considered by the City Council through a public process of hearings, Council work sessions, and final adoption in late May. The Adopted Budget sets the tax rates and guides the expenditure of funds by the City throughout the fiscal year, July 1 through June 30. You can view the City Manager’s proposed budget and budget presentations here.

The foundation for our budget discussions began back in January when the Council established the 2016 Priorities. The Priorities document also provides a listing of major projects, initiatives, and ongoing activities that the Council and City staff will continue to work on and established a framework for the Council as it looked at the budget.

Tradeoffs

During our many discussions about the budget, we debated trade-offs and considered the best ways to address residents’ needs and priorities given the resources available.

The City’s main source of revenue is property taxes. And this year, after much deliberation, the Council set the rate at 56.75 cents (per $100 of assessed value).  This is lower than last year’s rate of 58.50 cents. The current tax rate is higher than the constant yield tax rate of 55.18 cents which means the City will have $345,211 more in property tax revenue than we had last fiscal year.

All of us on the Council understand that while we are setting the budget for the City, individuals and families are doing the same for their own households. Therefore, it was central to our discussions to ensure fiscal responsibility while delivering on the services residents rely on and have come to expect, and at the same time address the needs and priorities for the future.  For more information on the tax rate and assessments and for helpful information about applying for tax credits, please see this blog by the City Manager.

Priorities

So what is in the budget? The budget advances the following established priorities of the City Council:

• A Livable Community For All
• Fiscally Sustainable Government
• Environmentally Sustainable Community
• Engaged, Responsive & Service-oriented Government
• Advance Economic Development Efforts

The part of the budget I am most excited about and glad we started this year is the Housing Reserve Fund to address the affordable housing needs in our community. We have put $400,000 in the fund and in upcoming meetings the Council will enact, by ordinance, criteria and procedures as are necessary to operate the Housing Reserve. This reserve grew out of the Council’s priority discussions and the Community Conversation on Affordable Housing we held in February. I look forward to working with my colleagues as we further develop plans for the fund.

Another priority area established by the Council and reflected in our budget is additional funds for youth programs. Our Council priority is to identify youth and family programming needs in the community, especially for our more vulnerable residents including but not limited to those in lower income and immigrant families and those with developmental disabilities, and develop approaches to meet those needs. This year the budget has in it funds to support local community groups that work with young people including MANUP and Lunch and Learn as well as funding for additional funds for increased multimedia lab hours (put forward by Councilmember Male), the establishment of a Takoma Park College Scholarship (put forward by Councilmember Smith), and additional Play Days (put forward by Councilmember Kovar).  On June 18^th we will hold a Community Conversation on Youth Success to continue identifying the needs of young people and how the City in partnership with local organizations can address those needs.

Another significant part of the budget is dedicating resources to economic development efforts. We have allocated $150,000 for these efforts and will be discussing in upcoming months the best use of those resources. Councilmember Schultz has already started to bring forth ideas for Council consideration.

There are also a number of other very important items in the budget such as the carry-over of money from last year to hire a consultant to assist with police-community relations. Thanks to Councilmember Seamens for his continued advocacy in this area. We have also allocated an additional $100,000 over the actuarial-recommended amount needed in our police pension an area that Councilmember Qureshi has been championing on the Council.

There are many other items in the budget including moving forward with developing the renovation plans for the library, the Dog Park construction, playgrounds on Colby Avenue and Sligo Mill Road, sidewalk construction and the addition of 7^th and 8^th grade girls basketball  – to name just a few. For more details please see the City City website’s Budget & Financial documents page.

I want to thank my colleagues on the Council for their hard work and thoughtfulness as we worked through the budget process, residents who provided valuable comments and input, and to our City Staff, especially the City Manager, Deputy City Manager and Finance Director who prepared the budget and answered Council and resident questions.

From Kate Stewart, Mayor of Takoma Park

For most journeys in life, it is good to have a map and a sense of the direction in which you want to head.  Our City Council is elected for two-year terms and is charged with setting policy, approving the budget and pursuing legislative changes in the best interests of the community.  To best address the needs of residents and ensure fiscal responsibility, establishing our “map” of priorities and how we plan to achieve the priorities is essential.

On Wednesday, February 24, 2016 the Council adopted a set of five overarching Priorities, along with Goals within each priority area and corresponding Desired Outcomes. The 2016 Priorities grew out of the Council’s annual retreats which were held in January and were honed at a Council work session before adoption. The Priorities and Goals build on the former Strategic Plan which had been adopted by prior City Councils. The Priorities document also provides a listing of major projects, initiatives, and ongoing activities that the Council and City staff will continue to work on.

The Priorities will inform the development of the City’s budget and will be our map, indicating the strategic direction the Council intends to move over the next year. The Council will regularly refer to the Priorities during its policy discussions.

As with any journey, there will be times we may need to make adjustments to address unforeseen issues or to change our direction to take advantage of new opportunities that may arise to achieve our desired outcomes.

The Council has already begun its work on a number of the goals set out. For example, in early February, we held a Community Conversation on Affordable Housing.

We hope you take a look at the Council Priorities and, throughout our term, provide us with ideas and feedback for how we might work best to address them.

From Kate Stewart, Mayor of Takoma Park

In Takoma Park, we are committed to being a diverse and inclusive community, which requires a variety of housing options for residents. As our City grows and changes, we must remain diligent to ensure residents have such options and, most importantly, continued access to safe, decent and stable places to call home.

Taking a closer look at our current housing goals and priorities and developing and implementing new goals and targets is a crucial first step toward addressing the affordable housing needs of our community. To begin this process, we invite you to join the City Council for a Community Conversation on Affordable Housing on Saturday, February 6th from 9:30 AM-1:15 PM.

The meeting, the first in a series of Community Conversations on various topics, will provide an opportunity to learn and engage in a discussion about the City’s approach to housing, current trends at the local and state level, and some new ideas for addressing the issue of affordable housing in Takoma Park.  Most importantly we need YOU, residents of Takoma Park to  share your thoughts and participate in the conversation.

Small group discussions will begin to answer questions such as:

• What should be our affordable housing goals in Takoma Park?
• What is currently working and what needs to be changed about our approach to affordable housing? For example, should the City’s Rent Stabilization program continue to keep rents at moderate levels no matter the income of the tenants?
• How do we accommodate the needs of low and very low income residents, residents with disabilities, families with children, and older residents who want to age in place?
• Do we have the correct mix of rental and ownership opportunities? Do we have the correct mix of apartments, condominiums, single family detached homes and townhouses?
• To what extent should the community pursue economically integrated neighborhoods or complexes?
• Can redevelopment along New Hampshire Avenue help meet some of our housing goals?
• What are new approaches the City can take to ensure opportunities to affordable housing?

Please join City Council, subject matter experts from City staff and national and community organizations as we share information, respond to questions, and participate in the conversation.

Community Conversation on Affordable Housing

Saturday, February 6
9:30 AM-1:15 PM
Takoma Park Community Center – Sam Abbott Citizens’ Center

From Kate Stewart, Mayor of Takoma Park

Happy New Year!

It is a great honor to serve as Takoma Park’s Mayor and to work with the dedicated Council members and City staff. The close of 2015 found the new City Council very busy.

• One of our first actions as a Council was to unanimously pass a Resolution Welcoming Syrian Refugees which Councilmember Qureshi drafted.
• The Council moved to support funds to supplement an after-school program at Essex House. Earlier this year, the Montgomery Collaboration Council was awarded a 21^st Century Community Learning Center Grant. However, the budget only covered four days a week. Thank you to Councilmember Smith for bringing this opportunity to the Council. With the City’s support, the program will run five days a week.
• I testified on behalf of the City and we have begun to work with our State Delegation and the administration at Washington Adventist Hospital to prepare for the Hospital’s move in a few years.
• We have begun to move forward on revisions to the City’s Noise Ordinance which we will take up again in the new year. Thanks to Councilmember Schultz’s persistence and work on the ordinance.
• At the urging of Councilmember Male, we had a presentation by Montgomery County Public Schools on the future of the schools in our area and the Council is likely to continue to look for ways we can advocate on behalf of the schools in our community.
• Councilmember Kovar and myself have held police community meetings. These are opportunities for residents in neighborhoods that have seen an increase in crime to meet with members of the police department, ask questions and looks for ways residents and the police can work together to prevent and fight crime in specific areas of the City.
• Councilmember Seamens continues his work in the community connecting residents to essential services and will be integral as we move forward in selecting an outside consultant to help the City evaluate and build on the work we are already doing to improve community-police relations, particularly relations among the police and young people in the community.
• As we close this year, we hold in our hearts those we have lost. We remember former Mayor Stephen Del Giudice and I would like to thank again the friends and neighbors who organized the candlelight vigil for Anita Datar and our police department and City staff for assisting in the planning of the vigil.

Looking to 2016

…we have a great deal coming up!

• Starting in January, City Council meetings with be on Wednesday evenings at 7:30. The first meeting is on January 13.
• We are also starting to hold “Community Conversations.” Throughout the year, we (City Council) plan to host a series of Community Conversations about various topics of importance to the community. These “conversations” will be designed to promote thoughtful, engaged dialogue among Councilmembers, members of the community, staff and other subject matter experts. While the details and a full schedule of meetings and topics are still to-be-determined, we have reserved the morning of Saturday, February 6th for the first Community Conversation. The topic of this inaugural meeting will be housing affordability in Takoma Park.
• Friday morning coffees with Mayor and City Manager will start in locations throughout the City in late January. Please keep an eye out for an announcement.
• For a full look at the upcoming Council agenda you can go here to the City website. Also if you are looking for an update on a specific project the new City website has a section with all current projects. If you do not see something you are looking for, please let us know.

As we enter the new year, I look forward to working with all of you and hope that the peace and goodwill of this holiday season continue throughout the year.

Best,
Kate

From Kate Stewart, Mayor of Takoma Park:

In one of its first votes since taking office a few weeks ago, the new Takoma Park City Council voted unanimously in support of a Resolution Welcoming Syrian Refugees. The new City Councilperson for Ward 3, Rizzy Qureshi, a first generation American, took the lead in drafting the Resolution.

The Council took action to stand up and voice our opposition to the incendiary rhetoric being espoused by many across the country, and in the state of Maryland, as they seek to use fear to turn away victims of terrorism and those most in need of our assistance. We reminded the world that approaching issues such as this with compassion and empathy are key to building strong, inclusive, and healthy communities. We also reminded those who too readily use labels to dehumanize individuals that we are talking about people – mothers, fathers, daughters, sons – human beings who have a right to personal dignity and to be treated with fairness and justice and not with hatred and bigotry.

By adopting this Resolution, the City Council reaffirmed Takoma Park as a safe haven for people whose lives have been shattered by war and we have added our voice to others around the state, the country, and the world to make clear that the words “immigrant” and “Muslim” do not equal “terrorist.”

In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”  We will not be silent.

Read the resolution here.

NOTE:  What follows is testimony from Takoma Park Mayor Kate Stewart at the Montgomery County Joint Priorities Hearing on November 18, 2015.

Good evening. I am Kate Stewart, Mayor of the City of Takoma Park. The Takoma Park City Council and I look forward to working with you in the Legislative Session that convenes in January.

Today, however, as nations across the world face terrorism and the fear that terrorism engenders, we ask that you and all of our State leaders make it clear that the word “immigrant” does not equal “terrorist” and the word “Muslim” does not equal “terrorist.” Maryland should be a safe haven for people whose lives have been shattered by war, not a closed door. Takoma Park has a long history of welcoming immigrants and building a caring community, as does Montgomery County. The State of Maryland should do the same.

Takoma Park’s Legislative Priorities

The recent announcement that the State of Maryland is on a firmer financial foundation than originally projected will allow for restoration of funding of several key services or projects. We know that this Delegation will be pursuing restoration of needed school funding for Montgomery County.

We also ask that you pursue:

• restoration of a full funding formula for municipal Highway User Revenue, and
• increased funding for small and medium-sized economic development initiatives in our commercial areas and in conjunction with Washington Adventist Hospital on the Takoma Park campus, if the main hospital moves. 

Economic Development

Thank you for your long advocacy for the Purple Line. With the announcement of support of the Purple Line by the Governor, we are now able to finalize plans to spur reinvestment along University Boulevard and New Hampshire Avenue. However, the cuts to public art and aesthetic features along the line reduce the economic benefits the Purple Line can bring to Takoma Park, Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, and the State of Maryland. Please work to restore these features to the Purple Line. Private investment will be greater when development occurs near an attractive transit facility. Takoma Park prides itself on its public art and we want to see art and streetscape and other aesthetic improvements all along the length of the Purple Line.

Besides making the Purple Line project the best it can be, we will be asking for your help in obtaining State funds for economic development initiatives and infrastructure improvements along University Boulevard, the New Hampshire Avenue Corridor and on the Takoma Park campus of Washington Adventist Hospital. We want New Hampshire Avenue (MD 650) to better accommodate transit, bicyclists and pedestrians and we want Community Legacy and other economic development funds to assist businesses in renovating their small commercial properties along the Corridor. We also want to make sure we are not left with an unattractive, largely vacant property in the center of our community if Washington Adventist Hospital receives approval to move its acute care beds to White Oak. Investments in these areas will more than pay for themselves in taxes, jobs and private investment.

Highway User Revenue

As always, we ask your help in restoring Highway User Revenue funding to the FY 2009 levels via a permanent funding formula. Once again, this is the top priority of the Maryland Municipal League because it is so very important. Municipalities simply don’t have the revenue-generating flexibility that counties have to maintain basic infrastructure. Our taxpayers pay for road repairs while residents from the whole region use our roads. Highway User Revenue helps associate the funding for road improvements with the users of those roads. It’s time to fix the HUR funding formula permanently.

In FY 2009, the City of Takoma Park received $509,000 in Highway User Revenue to help pay for road maintenance. In FY 2011, it was down to $43,000. For several years, there have been one-time larger Highway Revenue payments to municipalities included in the State budget, but the formula to provide a reliable source of funds at an adequate level was not included in the Transportation Trust Fund legislation. We strongly supported the Transportation Trust Fund for its other benefits, but municipalities need the section related to Highway User Revenue corrected. While the overall amount of Highway User Revenue for municipalities is small to the State, it is huge for municipalities like Takoma Park that depend on it for funding basic road maintenance. If the formula cannot be corrected this Session, the one-time payments need to continue until the correction can be made.

City Initiatives For Which State Support Is Requested

There are several efforts underway in the City of Takoma Park that will make Takoma Park an even better place to live. We are redeveloping a City-owned lot in our Takoma Junction area into a neighborhood commercial center, we are making plans to renovate and expand our Takoma Park Library, and we will be renovating our Police Department.

The “Takoma Junction” is the intersection of Carroll Avenue (MD 195) and Ethan Allen Avenue (MD 410 or “East-West Highway”) in Takoma Park. The area is terribly congested most of the day, slows car and bus travel through town and is unsafe for pedestrians or bicyclists. State Highway has done a preliminary concept plan for a limited reconfiguration of the intersection that would be a great improvement. A well-functioning, safe intersection will help our Takoma Junction development project succeed. However, funding for this road work needs to be allocated. We ask for your support of this State Highway project.

Takoma Park will be doing the design work for our library and police department renovations in the coming year. As we move forward on these needed projects, we may be requesting Bond Bills for them in a future year.

State Programs We Wish to See Protected

The City of Takoma Park has benefited from its State-authorized stormwater fee system and speed camera program, and we have benefited from the Community Legacy program and Program Open Space funding. Please continue to protect these programs, and work to expand funding for Community Legacy and Program Open Space.

We also wish to continue to see progress on environmental protection programs. Takoma Park has used a number of Maryland programs to help pay for innovative stormwater systems to ensure clean water in the streams that go to the Chesapeake Bay and to pay for energy-saving fixtures and improvements to reduce energy consumption. Besides the environmental benefits of these programs, many of them result in reduced energy costs for our residents, businesses and our government facilities.

Again, in the upcoming Legislative Session, we ask that the Montgomery Delegation pursues:

• restoration of a full funding formula for municipal Highway User Revenue, and
• funding for Takoma Park’s economic development initiatives.

And, we invite you to take a tour of Takoma Park!

We invite you to visit Takoma Park, take a tour of our commercial areas, see our plans for the Takoma Junction project, the Takoma Park Library and Police Department. Feel free to contact City Manager Suzanne Ludlow or myself and we will make the arrangements to meet your schedule.

Thank you for the opportunity of addressing you today.