Last night's Culpeper County Board of Supervisors budget and real estate tax rate hearings took on a vastly different flavor from those in recent memory.
Usually speakers step up to the podium demanding lower taxes. Last night about half of those who spoke were county employees pleading with supervisors not to lower taxes to the point where layoffs will be necessary.
Before the public hearings, County Administrator Frank Bossio presented three possible scenarios that would balance a $141 million 2010 budget, which is essentially the same as this year.
A 66-cent per $100 real estate tax rate would necessitate the elimination of seven positions--a deputy clerk, three people from the building department (including one inspector), two real estate assessors and one member of the commonwealth's attorney's staff. Three inspectors would be forced to work shorter hours and $50,000 would be cut from outside jail services.
A 65-cent rate would eliminate another building inspector and require that the remaining three inspectors shift to a three-day work week. Cuts in other professional services would also be made and improvements to one of two parks would be put on hold.
A third option would force the county to dip into reserves to fund either of the first two options.
None of the options included a 69-cent tax rate, which is what the county advertised.
That rate, according to Commissioner of Revenue Terry Yowell, would equalize the tax revenue following this year's reassessment, which she said lowered property values by 11 per cent (the current tax rate is 61 cents).
For years Doris Clatterbuck has spoken against higher taxes but this year she admitted that she had changed her tune. "I'm in favor of 69 cents," Clatterbuck, who works for Human Services, said. "I hope the last thing you all do is [initiate] layoffs."
Commonwealth's Attorney Gary Close also argued against the possible loss of one of his prosecutors. He called his office "the tip of the [law enforcement] spear" and warned of a strong gang presence in Culpeper County. Close said that the loss of a prosecutor wouldn't mean that he would stop prosecuting misdemeanor cases, but that he would concentrate on more violent crimes.
And one member of the building department reminded the Board that inspectors perform "outreach" to the community in addition to inspecting construction projects.
But Francis Updike said that on a recent trip to the building inspector's office he saw three inspectors "just walking around" with little to do. "They said they were just reading up on the codes. Growth is gone. Government is not immune from layoffs."
The Board of Supervisors will meet Tuesday at 10 a.m. to adopt both a 2010 budget and a tax rate. The Board is not held to any of the scenarios presented last night, but the tax rate cannot exceed the 69 cents (5 cents of that goes to fire and rescue) that was advertised.
Donnie Johnston:
Email: djohnston@freelancestar.com