ROANOKE, Va. (AP) - The city of Roanoke is pondering $3.5 million in budget cuts to help it deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Roanoke City Council saw the proposed budget on Monday via teleconference, The Roanoke Times reported. It included proposals to reduce hours for libraries, closing the city’s swimming pools for two summers and less money for cultural organizations.
Finance Director Amelia Merchant and City Manager Bob Cowell said during a briefing on the 2020-21 budget that the cuts are necessary in order for the city to deal with the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has vastly reduced local revenues since mid-March and possibly will adversely affect the local economy for another year or more.
Roanoke’s management and budget office expects expenses to outpace revenues by more than $1.7 million in the next fiscal year. It’s expected that about half of the budget cuts will cover that deficit, and the remaining savings will provide a buffer of about $1.8 million in case the lingering effects of COVID-19 on the economy are worse than expected
The council will take up the budget again at its May 18 meeting.
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