Prince William supervisors to look at fiscal future

The New Year brings new leadership and Tuesday, Prince William supervisors will decide who will fill the role of vice chair for 2009.

That title is currently held by John Stirrup, R-Gainesville.

Other annual routine issues set for tomorrow’s 2 p.m. meeting at the McCoart Administrative Building include remarks from Chairman Corey Stewart, R-At-large, and adoption of the board’s rules of procedure.

Normally, the chair speaks about the progression of the county’s strategic goals, said executive Craig Gerhart on Friday. But Stewart is instead going to focus on “the economy, and showing how the county’s poised to handle the fiscal challenges” that are expected over the next couple years, Gerhart said.

Discussion of strategic goals is part and parcel of the board’s meeting schedule, anyway. Following the consent agenda, supervisors will receive an update on economic development and transportation, as well as human services — key issues that were identified and listed, along with education and public safety, as the core county concerns through 2012.

The strategic goals are important because they form the basis for budget planning for the upcoming years.

“The board began to work on the 2012 strategic plan in January 2008 when they identified 12 issue areas for staff analysis,” according to agenda documents. “Those analyses were presented to the board in June and four strategic areas were chosen — economic development/transportation, public safety, human services and education.”

The board adopted specific “goal statements” for each area of concern in September and directed the various task forces to identify the steps — the “what,” according to agenda documents — that would lead to realization of these goals. Staff estimated the costs associated with each strategy, and it’s this particular facet that is due for presentation Tuesday.

“These facilitated work sessions will help the board select the specific strategies to include in the 2012 plan which, in turn, allow staff to identify the action steps — the ‘how’ — that support the strategies and outcomes,” board documents read.

The public safety strategic plan is set for board discussion Jan. 13. The education section has yet to be scheduled. And the full plan is due for possible board adoption in March.

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