The Franklin News-Post
P. O. Box 250
310 Main Street, SW
Rocky Mount, Virginia 24151
540-483-5113
Fax: 540-483-8013
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Wednesday, February 17, 2010
By CHARLES BOOTHE - Staff Writer
Everything from fee increases to tax hikes to pay cuts are still options for the Franklin County Board of Supervisors as ways to handle an expected budget shortfall.
But during a meeting Tuesday afternoon, no decisions were made about any options.
"I need more guidance," county Administrator Rick Huff told board members. "If there are some things (cuts or revenue enhancers) you are not going to consider, we need to know that."
Huff gave the board a list of possible cuts, fee hikes, tax increases and reductions in services.
The county is facing a more than $2.1 million budget shortfall, while county schools may see a $6.6 million drop in state funding.
"That's huge," Huff said, adding that big-ticket cuts, such as positions and salaries, may be needed or increases in taxes and fees.
Huff said just to provide schools with the same local funding the county provided last year will mean an extra $900,000, and that's besides the almost $1 million more the county needs to maintain positions in the constitutional offices and sheriff's' department.
While some money can be saved by cutting back on various services and fee increases, it won't be nearly enough to make up the deficits, he said.
"You cannot get it (enough savings) on the expenditure side," Huff said. "You're getting into laying off people or cutting salaries."
"There is no way the (county) payroll will be as large next year as this year," said Blackwater District Supervisor Wayne Angell, who added that a real estate tax hike is an option that should be considered in combination with salary cuts for county and school personnel.
Most supervisors agreed that a cut in those salaries is likely in order to preserve jobs.
"A salary cut is preferable to unemployment," Gills Creek Supervisor Russ Johnson said.
But supervisors disagreed on a possible tax hike, with Boone District Supervisor Ronnie Thompson saying cuts must be made, that people cannot afford a tax hike.
However, they agreed that if they raise the $900,000 for schools to get to level funding and the almost $1 million for the constitutional offices and deputies would most likely require a real estate tax hike.
Huff said the county has already cut expenses and staff to the point services may be affected if any further reductions are made.
Angell said the county cannot regress either in services or schools.
"We cannot go back 25 years," he said.
Huff also said the schools need to know how much money they will be getting locally in order to work on their budget, adding that more cuts may be coming from the states for both the county and schools.
The board did not take any action but agreed to meet again on March 3 to give Huff some specifics on what they will do.
"When we cut everything to the bare bones, we're still not going to have enough," said Blue Ridge Supervisor Bobby Thompson. |
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