Hoping to be Pleasantly Shocked

Strategic planning and budgeting for the next one, two, and five years will be part of the Albemarle Board of Supervisors meeting agenda on Tuesday afternoon, May 17, 2016. It will be another in a series of continually Staff-dominated sessions on financial long-range strategizing and prioritizing. Some day someone should put a stopwatch on such proceedings and then chart how many minutes of meeting time County Executive Tom Foley and his Staff talk, how much time the BOS members talk, and how little time the taxpayers get to talk.

Anyway, one of the items for this upcoming Work Session is a review of the 2015 Albemarle County Citizen Survey. Staff use these results to justify what they allege are County residents’ priorities and then try to tie the expenditure of tax dollars to these results.

Well, let me share some of my analysis that I very much doubt that we’ll hear Tom Foley & Company share with Board members when they review their Survey results on May 17.

Actually, I first put my analysis of the survey results in an e-mail to my district’s Supervisor Brad Sheffield (D, Rio) and former Supervisor and former BOS Chairwoman Jane Dittmar (D, Scottsville) in August of last year. This preceded the start of my website and blog Whatever Albemarle.

And by the way, I have again e-mailed my analysis of the survey to Mr. Sheffield, to new BOS Chairwoman Liz Palmer (D, Samuel Miller), and to the other four Supervisors in hopes that they will at least glance at my input in advance of the meeting.

I would be pleasantly shocked, if any of my findings are brought up by County Staff while they dominate next Tuesday’s four hours of strategizing and prioritizing.

Here’s my August e-mail:

8/3/2015

Brad and Jane:

Hi.

As I imagine you already know, Albemarle's 2015 Citizen Survey results have been posted on the County's website. I've looked through all of the documents, and there are many positives.

However, in the interest of balance, there are also many items that don't appear to be highlighted in the data or the website verbiage by County staff.

Be sure to notice that the survey often lumps "Excellent" and "Good" ratings together.

None of Albemarle's Quality of Life benchmarks were higher than the national Quality of Life benchmarks. There are 8 categories: safety, mobility, natural environment, built environment, economy, recreation & wellness, education & enrichment, community engagement.

Only 38% of respondents rate Albemarle's quality of life as excellent.

Only 46% rated Albemarle County positively on "employment opportunities."

Only 13% rated the overall quality of county services as excellent.

Only 48% rated Albemarle County positively on "value of services for taxes paid."

Only 49% rated Albemarle County positively on "welcoming citizen involvement."

Only 44% rated Albemarle County positively on "confidence in County government."

Only 48% rated Albemarle County positively on "being honest."

Only 46% rated Albemarle County positively on "treating all residents fairly."

In the category of "Aspects of Governance," only 46% rated Albemarle County positively on "land use, planning and zoning."

In the category of "Aspects of Governance," only 47% rated Albemarle County positively on "code enforcement."

In the category of "Aspects of Governance," only 55% rated Albemarle County positively on "economic development."

Only 55% rated Albemarle County positively on "travel by car."

Only 38% rated Albemarle County positively on "public parking."

Only 36% rated Albemarle County positively on "traffic flow."

The survey is reported as statistically valid with a margin of error of 5%. It is based on 375 surveys — out of a total Albemarle County population of 98,970 (2010 Census).

Again, congratulations on the positive items reported in the survey results, but obviously there are many important areas where improvements are needed. Please focus on these areas of weakness — and let me know how I might help.

Cheers!

Gary Grant

Rio Magisterial District

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I have a couple other items to share in this post.

• Community engagement is also on next Tuesday’s meeting agenda for the Albemarle Supervisors. Let me remind you that, as crazy as it sounds, County Executive Tom Foley and his Staff dictated to the six BOS members this spring that they were not to “engage” with the public at their series of public “engagement” sessions on the budget.

Well, near the end of the Board’s upcoming May 17 meeting is 25 minutes earmarked to “determine [the] Board’s preference regarding citizen engagement in the upcoming process.”

It would be great to see some collective backbone from the six Democrats on the Albemarle BOS. They should all tell Tom Foley loudly and clearly that his non-engaging public engagement model used during this past budget season was a total failure and a public relations nightmare. JOB #1 for elected officials is to continually and openly engage with the public — the very people who vote for (or against) them and who fund the local government that elected officials represent.

• Congratulations to new Albemarle Police Chief Ron Lantz. He’s a good guy. I’ve known Major Lantz for a while now since I’m a volunteer on one of his District Captain’s Community Advisory Teams. Regardless, beginning June 1, Chief Ron will be evaluated on what he does going forward. To that end, since neither County Executive Tom Foley nor the Board of Supervisors were willing to voluntarily tell us what the new Chief’s taxpayer-funded pay and benefits package would be, I have asked for that information through a Virginia Freedom of Information Act request. Compensation is just one tool the public has available to evaluate its taxpayer-funded public employees. I’ll provide you with this tool as soon as County Personnel shares it with me.