Prince William has a budget

It took all of 10 minutes for Prince William supervisors Tuesday to put an end to months of debate and weeks of meetings and pass with near-unanimous voice the county’s fiscal 2011 budget package.

Of the roughly two dozen budget-related resolutions before supervisors for consideration – from setting the real estate tax rate at $1.236 to approving a very sparse fiscal 2011-2016 Capital Improvement Program – only two were settled with a 6-2 vote. Neither Supervisor Wally Covington, R-Brentsville, nor Supervisor Martin Nohe, R-Coles, approved fee increases for building and land development.

The rest of the resolutions passed unanimously, and come July 1, the county’s $844 million budget for fiscal 2011 goes into effect. It’s a balanced five year plan that supervisors approved, with general fund revenues and expenditures hitting an estimated $984 million by fiscal 2015.

Of the $844 million of general fund revenues approved for this fiscal year, 56.75 percent, or a bit more than $405 million goes to schools.

The final budget breakdown of the county’s general funds – which totals nearly $439 million for fiscal 2011, once the school’s percentage is removed – includes $12.3 million for general governmental operations, which pays for the Board of Supervisors and executive management. Another $23 million goes to county administration, with the biggest allotment, $6.1 million, for the Office of Information Technology.

The judicial system receives $13.4 million, according to budget documents for the board. Planning and Development gets almost $37 million, with the bulk — $27 million and some change – for Public Works.

Public Safety, by far, receives the greatest distribution of the government’s general funds, at almost $173 million. Of that, police receive $74 million; fire and rescue, $59 million; the jail, $22 million; and public safety communications and the sheriff’s office, each $8 million, according to the budget documents for the board.

Finally, Human Services was budgeted for $83 million, and the Park Authority and the library system, $13.6 million and $13.5 million, respectively.

Debt takes up $50 million of the county’s general revenues.

A week ago, several planned cuts to social service agencies and the libraries were restored.

The budget also allows for $2.8 million for revenue stabilization, a reserve fund that rating agencies look at to help determine the ability of the county to pay debt. The more set aside, the better the rating — and that means the greater the ability of the county to receive favorable loan interest rates.

With budget season ended, the board’s next challenge will be to boost the business presence in the county. Prince William receives 86 percent of its general revenues from residential taxes and 14 percent from the commercial sector. Chairman Corey Stewart, R-At-Large, would like to see that split mirror Fairfax County’s, where 25 percent of revenues are generated from business.

“It’s going to take years” to get to 25 percent, he said. “But we need more commercial development in the county … and that [86 percent reliance on homeowners] needs to be improved.”

Staff writer Cheryl Chumley can be reached at 703-530-3903.