Did all you folks count your fillings when the Chinese Delegation left? You may not believe it, but there are people there that are so intelligent that they have been trained to memorize long complicated formulas off of blackboard/ whiteboards and even the intricacies of a plant infrastructure just from walking past them. Now these are not those with just the infamous "Photographic" minds, but also highly educated and trained people. I don't know if we have anything to match those capabilities here in the U.S.?
But be assured any Lab or Plant they meandered through has few secrets left once they passed through. They are a remarkable group.
And yet again, the State has lost population. For the fifth consecutive year it was said in the Daily Blat of the 21st. I did a quick look to see if it got down to our level but found nothing. But am comfortable we are continuing our share of the slide for now. The annexation of Rosemar Meadows with its 11 families will be a bump in the road or maybe not even that in the short term?
Believe it or not, one should not be surprised that soon there is a strong expectation of the losses to stop and even turn positive for our population woes. But also the thought that by the 2020 Census, West Virginia will lose a Congressional Seat due to population decline.
Following up some more on the comments on a possible lack of fund due to the Police Department (PD), Fee being eliminated to the tune of about $24K Dollars and the "mixing" of the PD funds into and part of the City General Fund.
The City Budget was approved o/a 18 April 2017 for the period of 1 July 2017- 30 June 2018. This to be for an amount of $9,085,363., Lotta money folks, a lotta money. I received the information in a FOIA dated 23 June 2017.
Now in the latest"Audit", it was disclosed that the City carried over an "unassigned" Fund Balance of $374,721.00, This may well be what was called the "unencumbered" fund before. These are the monies from the 1 July 2016- 30 June 2017 budget. At the end of June 2018, whatever remains is converted into the old "Capital Reserve" fund. So it takes two (2) years to move money from an end of year General Fund to the Capital Reserve Fund. In the intervening year, it is what I call a "slush" fund for whatever the City wants to use it for?
Looking at the in question PD Fund (Line Item 700+), it has been allocated $2,649,881., for 2017- 2018. So let us go look at this PD Fee that is causing so much strife on the City Council and among those who just want to see blather and rambling? According to the City of Vienna Budget for this current Fiscal Year, the PD is to receive $215,000 from the Fee. Here is an interesting fact in the Budget as approved, 85% or $182,750. is to go too the PD. Question: where does the other $32,250., go too? Sounds like some sort of Administrative charge?
Since I am not looking at the 30 June 2017 end of year balance, I am going to speculate that a large amount of the just ended years PD budget ended up in the $374,721. carry over? But still can not see all the brouhaha over that $24K? Seems we are missing $32K to some where?
Now, I am not going to blame Mr. Conley for NOT knowing the above. He truly does not have a clue on what is going on, but keeps getting his name on it. I just found it by going through what is supposed to be a "Budget". I listen to him give a "Treasurer's Report" every City Council Meeting, so guess he is the Treasurer? But where is he getting a $218,+++. yearly Budget and why? So many questions in this piece of Trash the City has dreamt up for the City Monies? How about some answers?
There is the same 85% concept for the $50K in Fire Fees that the City shows it is collecting (but from whom?). Those were ALL supposed to have ended by October of 2016? The same for the Streets Department with it 85% allocation amount.
So for the "What are we doing group", there are distinct lines of Revenue and of Expenditures for what is going on. EXCEPT: Health Insurance Premiums, Employee Premium Payments, the "Retention Payments" made monthly to some of the VFD folks. Once you begin to pay them a monthly stipend, I would ask but that they are technically no longer Volunteers?
The 2017- 2018 Budget/ Audit is basically a piece of Trash. Too many dollars missing; too many pages missing. I received 33 pages for the above FOIA. But just by looking at page numbers, I am missing at least 6 of 8 and by reviewing what I do have, there are numerous entries missing for expenses as noted above?
And the document that I received, is like in the old days when one had to do a Class Paper or Essay. The Teacher would require an "outline" to check on what we were doing? If it passed muster, we continued with the entire project. This is what I got for the FOIA- an Outline.
Or, it is like a Stockholder Report from a large company. Very broad and ambiguous positions/ statements on what is/ has happened but one must go into the fine print to find what is really going on. Again, I did not get the fine print but know it is there- just hidden.
Again, if the City Attorney wishes to whine about the cost of defending against Law Suits, he need only look to his left. The above FOIA is another example where the City is telling me what I can see versus what I can review and choose to have copies of per the FOIA Law.
There have been missing pages from the VUB Documents; the City Minutes are being Censored/ delayed and who knows what all? 'nuff said'.