County Administrator Kirby Bowers presented his proposed budget for FY 2006 on Tuesday, recommending a drop in the real estate tax rate from $1.1075 to $1.07 per $100 assessed value.
Helping bring the tax rate down is the jump in assessments this year: an average of 20 percent for single-family detached homes.
The $1.23 billion budget proposes that the county fulfill all the School Board’s budget requests. The School Board requested $860.7 million for FY 2006, adding up to 73.5 percent of the entire budget. In 2004, school expenditures took up 74 percent of the budget.
While county agencies requested $45 million in enhancements, Bowers included less than half that cost in his budget proposal. That still makes room for 209 new positions, an eight percent increase. It also provides for an inflation-based three-percent raise for employees and a three- to four-percent raise based on performance.
The proposed budget also accounts for the fact that Loudoun County has an ambitious capital improvement schedule to complete by 2010: it needs to build 21 new schools, five public safety centers, three additions to the new Adult Detention Center, a regional library in Dulles south, five regional park and ride lots, nine supported living residences and homeless shelters.
Bowers also included an option for local financing and construction of critical road improvements on Route 7, Route 50 and Route 659.
THE COUNTY’S DEBT load of $805 million is "largely attributable to school construction," Bowers said. "The Board of Supervisors will need to make a careful review of the capital improvement program in light of the fiscal challenges we will be facing."
The FY 2006 debt services is projected at $107 million, an increase of $10.7 million over 2005. By 2010, it is expected to reach $170 million.
Supervisors reserved most of their judgment on the proposed budget until they get a chance to delve into the 300-page document.
Supervisor Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge) expressed his concern about funding capital improvements.
"Without having seen it yet, my first impression is the most troublesome part of this is going to be the [capital improvements program] and how to deal with the debt cap," he said. "I think we’re going to have a lot of hard work there, a lot of difficult decisions."
Supervisor Mick Staton (R-Sugarland Run) was encouraged. "This was much more tax-friendly presentation than what we had last year, when we had a proposed tax increase," Staton said.
The county conducted a program review of all agencies last fall, which should help expedite the budget review process. In the current board’s first year of budget worksessions in 2004, many hours were spent on minutia — hopefully something that can be avoided thanks to a 500-page report drawn up from the program reviews.
"I would hope the process is different," said Chairman Scott York (I-At Large).
Get Involved
The county will hold a public hearing on the budget on March 2 at 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. and March 3 at 6:30 p.m. if needed, in the county government center at 1 Harrison Street in Leesburg.
For More Information
The proposed county budget should be online by the end of the week at www.loudoun.gov.