Live Blog: FY 2012 Budget Adoption

Woodbridge Patch editor Lauren Jost will be liveblogging the fiscal year 2012 budget adoption meeting starting at 2 p.m. 

To keep up with the budget discussion, click here. 

To view the board's agenda, click the pdf. 

2:13 p.m. Citizen's Time is open for public comment. Yale Schiffman from the Prince William Tea Party is speaking against the budget, citing "we don't have a revenue problem we have a spending problem." 

Tom Whitmore, from Manassas, is speaking against the tax rate, "you imply the tax rate is going down two percent but really it will be up three percent." Whimore said, "I am mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore." 

2:22 p.m. A Gainesville resident is speaking on the loss of the Department of Social Services (DSS) workers in the budget. "I would just ask, but it is probably too late, if you would consider just 13 positions. We need more than that, but just 13 positions for the next coming year we could make it."

Ernie Porta, Mayor of Occoquan, is also speaking on the cut of Department of Social Services employees. 

2:24 p.m. Brian Gordon, of the Prince William Chamber of Commerce said for the first time, the chamber has given their approval for the FY 12 budget.

Chairman Corey Stewart is giving background on the budget since 2006 and says the average tax bill in the county is down, even after the adoption of this proposed budget. Average tax bills in Fairfax County are 30 percent and 35 percent in Loudon County, said Stewart. 

"We can start approving projects now when other localities are not in a position to do so, we can begin building $200 million of growth," said Stewart. "Improving Route 1 is not a developer road, improving Route 234 is not a developer road." 

"We have got to continue building roads," said Stewart. "The state funds are not historically always there." Stewart cited road development as an investment for the county's assumed booming future. 

Stewart said that he "begs to differ" from those who consider park projects and the new libraries not to be priorities. "It's time to get these things done and stop kicking the can down the road," said Stewart. "This is the responsible thing to do." 

2:30 p.m. "We take the bull by the horns and we build the roads for the community," said Stewart. "There are some things stated by Mr. Whitmore that are just flat out wrong and I'd like the County Executive to address that." 

County Executive Melissa Peacor said that Loudon County adopted a 6.8 tax bill increase. Peacor said Fairfax also adopted a tax bill increase but that Alexandria and Manassas are still in budget discussions. 

"All of these expenditures [in the budget] outside of capital are supported by savings," said Peacor. "We have the lowest tax bill and burden on average, in the region." 

2:36 p.m. Budget Director Michelle Casciato will be reviewing the budget markup from last week. "The funds available under the proposal of $1.204 and the recap funds from the County Executive's budget were $4.5 million." 

Casciato said that they added three one-year terms for the DSS employees, 10 police positions, improvements for Potomac Community Library and investments in roads and infrastructure.

Woodbridge District Supervisor Frank Principi asked what was needed in order to get the five, three-year term limit DSS positions. Principi said he supports that funding going back into the budget. Peacor said, "I believe the board's budget direction to me was that at the end of three years the appointees could come back and be rejustified."

2:42 p.m. Neabsco District Supervisor John Jenkins is asking about the Casciato said that the county is putting 11 police positions into the budget, one of which is a school resource officer for Freedom High School. 

"This is the first time in three years we've been able to add more police officer positions," said Peacor. "We're starting to see us coming back." 

2:49 p.m. The board is starting to vote on the budget adoptions, now at 4D and all have been passed unanimously. 

At item 4E in the agenda, on the Property Tax Levy, May said he would support the County Executive's proposal, which does not include 10 additional police officers. Gainesville District Supervisor John Stirrup seconds May's proposal.  

The board is still discussing this item. 

3:03 p.m. 

“This [May’s proposal] wipes out everything we have done for the past six weeks,” said Jenkins. “I’m not going to support you [May] on that. All the CIP projects would have to be changed. My vote’s going to be ‘no’ on this motion.”

“I understand this is important and I just suggest we delay these projects,” said May. “We need to approach this very cautiously and we need to be careful.”

“I think we are moving a little too rapidly, I ask that we take a breather and hold back," said John Stirrup. “We do have the opportunity to give our taxpayers a bit of a tax break and we should do that. I know all of these projects are important.”

“If we wait a year, these projects will cost us a lot more money. When we’re at this dais a year from now and the board delays these things the citizens are going to look back at us and say ‘why did you wait?’” said Stewart. “To build these road and park projects that were approved in 2006 will cost a lot more money. If you don’t act now, it’s going to cost a lot more later.”

“We may be here next year removing things from the CIP because we couldn’t do them. I don’t want to remove vacant police positions,” said May.

Motion passes, six in favor, two oppose to adopt tax levy.

3:04 p.m. The fire levy passes unanimously. 

3:15 p.m. 

Principi has proposed to shift funds from the trails project and Potomac Library project for 13 three-year term DSS positions. 

Janine Sewell, of Department of Social Services said, “If eight positions were negotiating we could accept but we need 13 positions.”

Stewart said it isn’t responsible to go with 13 positions for DSS. “I think you are taking the risk of sacrificing quality. Let’s not fool ourselves, when you hire an additional eight workers on three-year terms and these are probably going to be permanent employees,” said Stewart.

Stewart said increasing the number of employees and would like the other CIP projects to be fully finances to get done.  

Principi's motion to amend failed; supervisors Nohe and May voted with Principi. The previously proposed general fund passes. 

3:29 p.m. The board passes the FY 2012 budget.