Amherst County’s proposed budget of $43.3 million for fiscal year 2018-19 is a 5 percent increase, or $2.2 million, from the current fiscal year.
County Administrator Dean Rodgers has presented a budget with a $41.2 million general fund and a combined $2.1 million in the capital improvement plan and 13 supplemental projects, or items not in the current budget. Spending proposed in the CIP and supplemental lists marks a $1 million increase from those two areas in the 2017-18 fiscal year.The budget plan keeps local tax rates level and proposes a 2 percent cost-of-living pay increase for all county employees.
“We’re past the Great Recession,” Rodgers told members of the Amherst County Board of Supervisors at last Tuesday’s budget workshop. “We need to get back to regular levels.”
The budget includes $100,000 for a new staffed solid waste convenience center, braces for a 10 percent increase in health insurance and absorbs $2.3 million in debt service for the county school system as part of an ongoing infrastructure upgrade project in all schools.
It also proposes three new positions, $250,000 for a property reassessment and $40,000 combined for security upgrades and carpet replacement at the courthouse, among about $560,000 outlined in the “critical” category of the supplemental list.
The capital improvement plan includes $300,000 combined for public works and parks, $300,000 for information technology and finance, $95,000 for maintenance to the county administration building and $800,000 in equipment needs for public safety.
The budget proposes level funding to Amherst County Public Schools of $14.1 million with a deduction of $352,000 due to projected savings from an ongoing project to upgrade infrastructure across the division’s schools. The county also plans $100,000 to purchase a school bus for the division.
Amherst County Schools Superintendent Steven Nichols has proposed a $48 million budget that would need a significant local funding boost to balance and preserve a 2 percent proposed pay raise for school employees. The schools’ budget currently has a deficit of more than $1 million.
Teresa Crouch, the division’s chief financial officer, addressed the Board of Supervisors last Tuesday during a citizens’ comment portion of its meeting. Crouch, who said she took the day off to address the board as a county resident, which she said is an unusual step for her, raised concerns with the county potentially spending $2.2 million from an unobligated general fund balance, or available funds of $5 million, for capital improvements and supplemental line items.
“If this type of spending continues, in two years there will not be an unobligated general fund,” said Crouch. “In two years, will citizens be asked to pay more in taxes for this type of spending that is being done?”
She said between the current budget and the proposed spending plan, if approved without changes, the unobligated fund would decrease by nearly $4 million. “If we continue to spend as we are spending now, there will be a problem,” Crouch said to supervisors.
Supervisor David Pugh said he agreed with Crouch’s sentiment and lamented spending $153,000 in recurring costs on several line items.
“… Before you know it, we won’t have any money to spend out of our unobligated reserve,” said Pugh.
Pugh sought a vote last week to not fund beyond the “critical” category of supplemental line items, which totals $574,241. His motion to nix more than $62,000 in the “necessary” category of supplemental spending failed on a 3-2 vote with Vice Chairman L.J. “Jimmy” Ayers III also in support.
On school funding, Rodgers said since he’s been with the county dating back to 2014, what the county has paid per student has increased each year as state and federal funding has declined during the same period because of declining student enrollment.
Chairwoman Claudia Tucker said in the past eight years she’s been on the board the county has been faced with paying more for schools as state and federal monies have dropped.
“There’s nothing we can do to fix that,” Tucker said.
In a later email, Tucker said: “The bottom line is that state funding continues to be cut and the localities are expected to make up the difference. My top priorities are to ensure a top quality education for our kids and public safety.”
School officials are expected present the division’s budget request to supervisors on March 20. The county plans to hold a public hearing on its budget proposal on April 17 and is targeting adoption for the following week, according to a budget schedule.
In other news:
Clarence Monday
» The board unanimously recommended appointing Clarence Monday, a former Amherst County administrator, to a vacant at-large seat on the Amherst County Board of Zoning Appeals. Monday, a county resident, served at the helm of county government from early 2012 to spring 2014. He recently served as an interim town manager in Appomattox. In his application letter, Monday cited 33 years of local government experience in serving the appointed body that weighs in on county zoning matters.
» Supervisors received a 2017 annual report from the Amherst County Planning Commission, which states the department of planning and zoning and the department of building inspections will merge early this year into the department of community development.
The report also states the Route 29 Business Beautification Committee, an appointed panel that strives to beautify the roadways of Amherst County, received $15,000 in county funding to place banners on utility poles along the U.S. 29 Business corridor.
