Residents' budget concerns vary

If anything could be drawn from public comments presented to Prince William supervisors in the opening hour of Monday’s hearing on the proposed fiscal 2009 budget, it’s that no clear consensus was emerging. Proposed 2009 budget

In quick succession, three speakers proposed cutting the $25-plus million funding that’s set aside for immigration resolution implementation in the next few years, leading casual listeners to perhaps conclude that the majority of the 200 or so in attendance believed similarly. But that train of thought soon gave way to another trend: “don’t raise my taxes,” which became a common theme.

“You have gotten used to spending this kind of money,” said Sarah Marie Pantzer, a Manassas area resident, referring to past years when the budget season was not so tight. “You’re going to adjust the tax rate so you can continue spending this money. Last time I checked, that was gluttony.”

Put another way, “the champagne’s gone, we’re on beer now,” said another speaker who advised supervisors to find ways to cut the waste and lower the tax rate.

On the table is $1 rate per $100 of assessed real estate values. That figure could change in the weeks of budget debate to come, but the lowest that has been broached publicly has been 95 cents.
Other speakers expressed concern with the impact of a $1 rate on business.

“On the business side, it’s going to put many businesses out of business,” said Barry Braden, a Nokesville resident who has owned a business in Prince William for 27 years. “There’s a lot of waste in this county … and fuel prices have closed down just about everyone I know in the construction business.”

In Braden’s own business, he said, his fuel operating costs have increased from $6,000 every two weeks to $13,000 for the same time period. And a more-than-$1,000 tax increase this year would only stretch businesses to the point of near-breaking.

The answer, fellow Nokesville resident Mark Melius agreed, is rooted in the supervisors’ ability to cut waste — and influence others to do the same.

“I support lower than the $1 rate,” Melius said, adding that the projected 8 1/2 percent raise in property taxes on the average homeowner will actually hit him harder because of raises in values. “My tax rate will go up 18-and-a-half percent … I cannot afford the increase.”

His suggestion was for supervisors to use their budget influence to push the Prince William County Schools into savings.

“I have seen waste, I have seen the overcompensation of administrative staff, I have seen incorrect spending priorities,” he said.

And Woodbridge resident Tim Melton expanded on that line of thought.

“Let’s bring the increases, the salaries of the top eight [administrative school staff], back in line with the real world,” Melton said, saying that the 6 percent cost-of-living and merit pay increases budgeted for school employees would translate into an incomprehensible increase for the superintendent, more than $14,000. Database of school employee salaries

“Tell them to bring their budget down,” he told supervisors, adding that the board also ought to consider doing away with funding its immigration policy. “I don’t understand why we’re trying to take on a federal issue. Let’s not do the federal job for them.”

Still others petitioned the board to adopt the $1 rate, or even higher, in order to fully fund existing county programs.

“I’m a fiscal conservative and typically I would tell you don’t raise taxes,” said county resident Austin Haynes. “But if you don’t fund your budget this year and fund it properly, next year you’re going to be in the same [situation] … You want to fund ICE, don’t take it from [fire and rescue].”

Former county attorney Sharon Pandak agreed; bickering over pennies in the tax rate is needless, she said.

“It’s only a couple of pizzas each month,” she said, referring to the impact a higher rate would have on most county residents.