The Board of Supervisors intended to parse the budgets for Parks, Recreation and Community Services; Libraries; Health; Housing; Extension; Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Substance Abuse; Social Services, Federal Foster Care Revenue Maximization Fund, and Comprehensive Services Act for At-Risk Youth Fund last week on Thursday night.
The board didn't get far.
After two hours, the board had completed Parks, Recreation and Community Services, then decided by straw vote that a $1.11 tax rate would be a baseline and instructed County Administrator Kirby Bowers to figure out how to cut $40 million — by this Thursday.
Bowers' proposed budget of $745 million — which included full funding for the school system — would have required a tax rate of $1.19. This year's '04 budget is $634 million.
THE TURNAROUND from questioning Parks and Recreation Director Cindy Welsh about $12 an hour positions and liabilities of using volunteers occurred when Supervisor Stephen Snow (R-Dulles) offered his perspective on budgeting: "what we want vs. what we need."
Snow compared county services to buying a car. He knows he needs a four-wheel drive vehicle and the dealership has him test drive a Toyota Highlander. But the Toyota Rav4 is cheaper and still provides four-wheel drive. Today's county government, he suggested, is a Highlander but taxpayers can only afford the Rav4.
"What am I going to get for $1.11?" Snow asked.
In the proposed $40 million cut from the proposed increases, Snow thought $25 million worth of cuts could come from the county government side of the budget and $7 million to $11 million could come from the school side. Other savings could come from the capital improvements plan.
Supervisor Lori Waters (R-Broad Run) said, "Tell department heads to find 5, 10 or 15 percent" in reductions. "They're going to have to show leadership."
However, some departments can't be cut back, Chairman Scott York said, citing public safety as an example. In addition, mental health and mental retardation "must be at '04 levels plus the cost of new group homes," he said.
Supervisor Mick Staton (R-Sugarland Run) said, "I know we can get to $1.11 — and lower — and still provide essential services."
Vice Chairman Bruce Tulloch (R-Potomac) emphasized that "these are all straw votes. We didn't just set the tax rate."
EARLIER IN THE NIGHT, the supervisors had agreed to eliminate $504,422 from the Parks, Recreation and Community Services proposed maintenance enhancements for '05.
But supervisors couldn't agree on other specific reductions. A recommendation to have fees completely offset costs of certain recreation programs such as the after-school recreation program for middle school students failed to have enough support after the director said that the monthly fee of $150 would have to double to $300 and participation would drop.
When Waters questioned why paid recreation staff had to be present "to turn off the lights and lock the doors" when parents of participants could volunteer, Welsh and Snow both cited the potential liability costs for the county.
Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio, citing a poll from state House Speaker William J. Howell (R-28), argued that the public wanted reduced spending and "lower level of services."
York said, "We need to tell the community what we don't want to fund. It's our budget, not the administration's."
Supervisor Jim Burton added, "We need to explain the impact of the cuts."
Responding to the supervisors' direction to re-create a budget based on a $1.11 tax rate, Budget Officer Ben Mays said, "We can't guarantee there wouldn't be a degradation of services."