Stafford County residents could see little change in their real-estate tax bills this year, despite a projected budget shortfall.
In a 4-3 vote Tuesday night, the Board of Supervisors agreed to advertise a "modified, equalized rate" of 84 cents per $100 of assessed value. If that rate is approved, the average homeowner's real-estate tax bill would rise only $17.
The existing rate is 70 cents per $100 of assessed value, but this year's reassessment lowered property values in the county.
The county staff proposed a rate of 89.8 cents to help offset a potential $30 million budget shortfall next year. That increase would have increased the average homeowner's tax bill by $206.
Spotsylvania County supervisors have advertised a 6-cent real-estate tax increase, to 62 cents. Fredericksburg's proposed budget calls for a 5-cent increase, to 58 cents.
The supervisors' decision sends county staff back to work cutting the proposed $578.9 million budget to take into account the lower revenues. Each penny of the tax rate generates about $1.5 million.
County Administrator Anthony Romanello urged the board Tuesday night to reconsider the equalized rate, which would leave the county about $9 million in the hole next year.
Instead, supervisors asked county staff to find additional cuts--but not to public safety departments or the school system.
Board members also discussed giving up pay raises they received Jan. 1. Their annual salaries were increased from $20,500 to $25,000 and the chairman's pay rose from $21,000 to $25,900.
Erasing a $9 million deficit would require a 15 percent cut across all non-school and safety county agencies, according to Romanello. It amounts to the salaries of about 180 county employees--"people we would have to send home July 1," he said.
"That's dramatic," the administrator added.
His proposed 2009 budget does not call for any new positions, but Romanello planned to fill vacancies, except for five openings in Code Administration.
"Vacancy savings are one of the few hedges that we have if the economy does turn worse, even more than it currently is," he said.
Supervisors encouraged Romanello to keep vacancies unfilled to save money.
"I understand it's not new positions, but it is new people," said Rock Hill Supervisor Cord Sterling.
Supervisors Paul Milde, George Schwartz and Bob Woodson voted against the 84-cent rate. Woodson said it could have "unintended consequences."
"This would adversely affect the amount and level of services the county offers to its constituents," he said. "Is that what we want to do?"
Kafia Hosh: 540/735-1977
Email: khosh@freelancestar.com
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Stafford County supervisors will hold a public hearing on the proposed tax rate and budget for next fiscal year at 7 p.m. April 15 in the Colonial Forge High School auditorium, 550 Courthouse Road.
They can adopt a rate lower than what is advertised. To go higher, they must re-advertise the higher rate and hold another public hearing. The fiscal 2008-09 budget goes into effect July 1.
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