Prince William passes fiscal 2010 budget

It’s final: Prince William’s fiscal 2010 tax rate is $1.212 per $100 of assessed property value.

County supervisors voted the new rate with a unanimous voice, 8-0, at Tuesday’s board meeting at the McCoart Administration Building. For homeowners, that means tax bills on average will drop by $430.

The reduction will not hit all equally. While some homeowners could see bills fall by hundreds of dollars, others could see savings of only a few dollars. The key factor is how each home’s assessed value has changed in the past year. Those homes with values that have fallen the most will realize the greatest dollar savings in their tax bills.

The average commercial bill —– though it’s impossible to arrive at a valid average for businesses —— will increase by 5 ½ percent.

The current tax rate is 97 cents per $100.

The adopted budget restores some of the funding for programs that seemed of greatest concern to speakers at two county public hearings. Spin-a-Web, a program that employs the mentally disabled, will receive $40,000, according to county documents. The Prince William Area Free Clinic will receive $20,000. Transportation for elderly will receive $30,000.

The budget plan also sets aside $1.8 million for possible matching funds for a federal grant to hire 25 more police officers. The county’s five-year budget plan already included this funding. The federal grant, however, would require immediate funds.

“We should find out this summer” if Prince William receives the grant, said Chairman Corey Stewart, R-At-Large, in an interview Monday. “Otherwise, if we don’t receive it, we’ll take the funds and hold on to them for next fiscal year.”

Yesterday’s budget adoption process included nearly two dozen resolutions, not all of which were passed with an 8-0 voice. In addition to setting the tax rate, supervisors also approved the Business, Professional and Occupational License fee – depending on business class, it ranges between five cents and 50 cents per $100 of gross receipts —– as well as revisions to land development and zoning fees. The fee changes are varied, but just the increases to land development application reviews and inspections are expected to bring in $776,545 in revenues.

Supervisors further approved the distribution of the county’s budget to the School Board —– though not without criticism.

“I am concerned about our school’s five-year plan,” Stewart said, referring to the School Board’s proposed budget for the next few years that shows million-dollar shortfalls. “Unfortunately, the revenue that was provided to the school system by the federal government meant many of … the cuts the schools would have had to make themselves were not necessary, because of this infusion of federal dollars.”

The schools are including 2 ½ percent cost-of-living raises for employees for fiscal 2010. Stewart saw that salary adjustment as irresponsible spending in the current tight economy and predicted the schools would face layoffs in fiscal 2012.

Supervisor Marty Nohe, R-Coles, who labeled the school’s budget in an earlier meeting of both boards as “built on hope” and not hard-and-fast figures, brought forth a resolution Tuesday to form a joint committee to begin fiscal 2011 budget planning now.

“I have a resolution I’m recommending to reestablish as a formal committee, two Board of Supervisors members and two School Board members, to start working on next year’s budget,” he said. “Because of the deficit in the school’s five-year plan, it shows we need to start working on that now.”

Representing from the county side would be Stewart and Supervisor John Jenkins, D-Neabsco. The school will have to choose whether or not to participate, and if so, appoint two members.

The committee will meet quarterly. The meetings, according to Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act, should be open to the public to attend.

Staff writer Cheryl Chumley can be reached at 703-670-1907.