CLARKSBURG, W.Va. – Clarksburg city council members will hold a budget hearing Thursday night for the proposed Fiscal Year 2021-2022 $30.9 budget.
The budget includes more than $1 million for the Financial Stabilization Fund, a 3 percent pay increase for city workers, additional police officers and more than $700,000 for the Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center fund..
“We’re budgeting conservatively, so hopefully we’ll underestimate revenues and then we’ll be able to appropriate more money to things when the money comes in,” Clarksburg mayor Ryan Kennedy said on WAJR’s Talk of the Town,” I’d much rather do that than pretend we have all this money and then we have to make cuts later because the money didn’t show up.”
Mayor Kennedy said the city did suffered revenue losses through the pandemic, but says retailers helped make up for losses in B&O Tax revenue.
“Walmart is still within our city limits and other big box stores Kroger, ect are all within our city limits,” Kennedy said,” So, they were still selling a lot of things during that time which helped to make up some of the gap in B&O that we lost from small business.”
According to Kennedy, city council voted to appropriate a significant amount of sales tax revenue to the Robinson Grand Theater. Kennedy said if those funds were available it could provide more flexibility in lean budget years.
“The majority of council didn’t agree with me at the time, so we did it,” Kennedy said,” So, unfortunately we’re tied up paying the mortgage on that thing with a lot of our sales tax revenue for the next 30 years.”
Like most municipalities, Clarksburg is waiting for details and the exact officials can expect from the American Rescue Plan.
“We’re getting a little over $6.3 million,” Kennedy said,” There have been some initial discussions, but we’re awaiting the final guidance from the federal government because it comes with a lot of strings.”
Kennedy has been a supported of term limits and plans to not run for reelection after six years on council and as mayor.
Term limits are one of the charter changes Clarksburg residents will be asked to decide during the June election. Others are, moving the date of the city election to the second Tuesday in May and referendum and recall provisions.
“I think that once you’ve been on council, or any other office past two terms you become an entrenched career politician,” Kennedy said,” That’s generally not a good thing for being responsive to voters.”
The Thursday budget hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m.