Tempers flare as board attempts to find money

By: Aileen Streng | Inside NoVA
Published: September 25, 2009

A suggestion that the Dumfries Town Council forgo its pay for a year to help ease the town’s budget crisis caused finger pointing and tempers to flare among a few of its members during Wednesday’s meeting.

Council member Cliff Brewer said the savings for such a move would be $36,400.

The Dumfries mayor makes $670.03 a month. The vice mayor is paid $556.36 a month and the other five council members make $446.69.

The town’s 31 employees are being told to take furlough days in order to save the town about $72,000. Brewer said if the council gave up its pay, the need for employee furloughs would be cut in half.
He also pointed out that the members of the Occoquan Town Council are only paid a dollar a year.

“Lucky them,” said Council member Dorothea Barr.

She suggested that council members who did not attend last year’s council retreat repay the town for the expenses incurred. Brewer and Sue Cornell did not attend, although rooms were reserved for them.
“For the council to go without pay … we have already taken out all of the other line items for the council. People like me attend functions for the town and pay for their own dues and expenses,” Barr said.

Cornell said that she did not go on the retreat because of a last minute family emergency.

“For you to tell me to pay when you did not pay your taxes for years, don’t expect me to pay that,” Cornell said.

“Thank you, Miss Cornell, but I paid,” Barr said.

“Yes, you did,” Cornell said.

“I paid, and you didn’t,” Barr said.

“That’s right I didn’t because of a family emergency,” Cornell said.

Barr did not pay her town trash bill on time between 1995 and 2005 when the fee was eliminated. The town filed a civil lawsuit against her for the money in 2003. Barr also was late paying her town property taxes in 2005, 2006 and in June 2008. She was elected to the town council in May 2008.

“If you want to, you can go out in the hall. We are talking about the budget,” Yohey said after he banged his gavel several times.

No action was taken on Brewer’s suggestion.

Staff writer Aileen Streng can be reached at 703-878-8010.