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Try your hand at balancing the Lynchburg budget!

On the left are a list of items that Lynchburg City Manager Kim Payne has said council could consider cutting on the grounds that they are non-core services. The city's general operating revenues are expected to total $156.6 million.

On the right are measures council could consider that would require more money.

Check a box in the left column to make a cut; check a box in the right column to fund the proposal.

You can also raise or lower the property tax rate and raise or lower employee pay.

This is a simplified exercise to give you an idea of some of the decisions council members must make. It is intended to allow you to determine how you think the city should be spending taxpayers' dollars.

For more information on the budget, go to the city's website.

Make your choices. The results will appear here.

 

What would you cut?

Brush and Bulk Collection $401,900
Citizens First Hotline $125,600
Community Market/Armory $217,000
Cooperative Extension $29,200
DARE $47,800
Downtown Library $80,000
Fire Dept. - Mothball one fire engine, eliminate related crew $666,400
Internal Auditor $79,200
Leaf Collection $357,000
Legislative Lobbyist $84,700
Library Youth Programs $371,622
LTV Channel $141,000
Lynch's Landing support $69,400
Marketing $71,120
Membership Dues $52,244
Miller Park Pool $65,200
Lynchburg Museum $333,200
Neighborhood watches $45,800
Discretionary Nonprofit Donations $135,719
Point of Honor $94,800
Police - eliminate 10 officers $450,000
Police - eliminate traffic safety unit $275,400
Recycling Program $188,500
School Resource Officers $225,600
Special Event Sponsorships $62,000
Employee Take Home Vehicles $54,300
Tourism - eliminate scheduled funding increase $351,000
Youth and Prevention Services Program $51,900

 

 

What would you add?

Lynchburg City Schools $2,000,000
Heritage High School $560,000
Nonprofits $274,309

Want to raise the property tax rate?

Each penny increase means another $472,000 for the city to use.

Raise the tax rate by cents (use a negative number to decrease the rate).

Want to raise employee pay?

Each percent increase costs the city another $490,000.

Raise employee pay by percent (use a negative number to decrease pay).

Reset all options