We're less than two weeks away from finding out How the City Manager Spent Her Summer Vacation: On August 9, Mary Suhm will give present to council her proposed budget for the coming fiscal year. We've sneak-peeked a few of the pending cuts needed to whittle away a $131-mil deficit, but recent glimmers of hope -- a slight bump in sales tax receipts, at least for one month, and less-than-expected drops in the tax rolls -- suggest perhaps a few cuts will be restored. Maybe. Hard to say.
Regardless: City Hall this morning sends a reminder that on August 9, matter of fact, the city will kick off a series of 38 (!) budget town halls during which it would like the citizenry to "share your input." Because it feels good to vent. And, if nothing else, the first one -- at the Beckley Saner rec -- should be fun, because it's being hosted by Dwaine Caraway.