Most of the county’s departments and agencies are operating at 94 percent of the budget approved by the Board of Supervisors earlier this year.
County Administrator Kirby Bowers requested department and agency heads to cut a total of $8.1 million from the fiscal year 2003 budget. The budget cuts are intended to keep the general fund in balance.
“During these times of national economic uncertainty and retrenchment, savings that can be expected from the regular turnover of county employees has significantly diminished,” Bowers said in a memorandum that he presented to the Finance and Government Services Committee on Oct. 7. “Most of the savings amount can only be achieved through operating reductions and allocations.”
Bowers asked most of the departments and agencies to cut 6 percent from their budgets and the Sheriff’s Office and Department of Fire and Rescue to cut $900,000, equivalent to 3.3 percent and 3.8 percent reductions respectively. He limited the Health Department’s cuts to the $78,000 that was achieved in vacancy savings. The department requested additional funding to test and control mosquito populations in the county following the appearance of West Nile Virus and malaria in the county, diseases that are spread by mosquitoes.
To make the cuts, county departments and agencies did not fill vacant positions, restructured services and postponed or limited services and staffing.
“In effect, we have to go into the operational budget and freeze positions we normally wouldn’t freeze,” Bowers said, adding that he told department and agency heads to think of critical services and avoid cutting “things that lead to higher productivity. We’re trying to be smart about this.”
SOME OF THE REDUCTIONS include:
* Fire and Rescue Services cut $147,000 beyond the required $900,000 in cuts. The cuts include delaying two recruitment academies, holding three vacant positions in the training division until 2003 and keeping the safety officer, EMS battalion chief and general clerical support positions vacant until January 2003.
* The Sheriff’s Office made $900,000 in cuts by managing vacancy savings and eliminating three bailiff positions and keeping two field deputy positions vacant until January 2003.
* Library Services froze 19 staff positions indefinitely and eliminated some equipment purchases to cut $515,000. The positions were added to increase hours at the Sterling, Lovettsville and Middleburg libraries. Existing staff will have to work the additional hours.
* Social Services made several program cuts and reduced the number of clients that can receive services to save the county $565,000.
* Parks, Recreation and Community Services cut $750,000 by eliminating five staff positions and limiting some programs.
“These represent a reduced level of service than what we were anticipating. We’re asking these departments to operate at 94 percent,” said James Burton, committee chairman.
IN OTHER BUSINESS, the committee granted the Health Department an additional $262,000 to continue mosquito surveillance in the county and spraying of adult mosquitoes through fiscal year 2003 instead of stopping efforts in November.