The upcoming year might not be all doom and gloom for Charlottesville officials and their spending options.

Kristin Szakos confirmed Monday that she has decided to seek the local Democratic nomination in hopes of filling one of two seats on the City Council up for election in November.

An affordable housing bill that easily passed the General Assembly last year has enjoyed a similar reception from Charlottesville’s Planning Commission.

Informal talks have started in Charlottesville and Albemarle County about next fiscal year’s city-county revenue-sharing funds, with officials scrutinizing the money’s usage more as big projects may lose funding in the coming years.

Amid great controversy over the future of the area’s long-term water supply, the Charlottesville City Council on Monday unanimously re-approved Mike Gaffney to head the board of directors for the Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority.

The $1.8 million shortfall that Charlottesville officials projected in August for this year’s budget could be tame compared with what could be in store down the road.

It’s a sad state of affairs when the best we can say is “One out of five ain’t bad”!

Charlottesville’s 2008 Housing Affordability Program is giving $428,475 in grants to city homeowners for real estate tax relief, a slight increase from last year.

In discussing options for funding a regional transit authority, several Charlottesville and Albemarle officials have indicated that raising the sales tax by 1 cent may be the best way to go.

Details for a city-staffed ambulance service are still being worked through, with officials saying everything from billing methods to staffing numbers are completely up in the air.

The Charlottesville City Council has made several appointments to city boards and commissions.

They might have done nothing in May, but in a complete turnaround on Monday city councilors unanimously approved a large house and accessory apartment in the city’s North Downtown neighborhood.

Charlottesville’s City Council was nearly split down the middle Monday when considering approval for a temporary construction easement to build the Meadowcreek Parkway, the controversial 2-mile thoroughfare that has stagnated for nearly four decades.

By the end of this budget cycle, Charlottesville may have to dig a little deeper to cover a projected $1.78 million deficit.

Plans for the Downtown Mall restoration, a $7.5 million overhaul slated to start in less than six months, could be set in stone tonight.