|
|||||||||||||
Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (0)
Board OKs budget
After several months of work sessions and public hearings, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors hammered out a budget deal last week that saves the county library system and avoids steep cuts to nonprofits.
On Tuesday, the supervisors unanimously adopted the budget and tax rate for the coming fiscal year.
The current real estate tax rate is $1.212 per $100 of assessed value but Tuesday's vote means the rate will increase to $1.236 next year.
That increase will result in slightly higher tax bills in the coming year. The average homeowner will see a 2.5-percent increase -- about $74 per year.
By raising the real estate tax rate, however, supervisors have ensured that they won't have make draconian cuts to libraries.
Initial plans called for Lake Ridge and Independent Hill neighborhood libraries to be closed permanently.
An alternative proposal would have kept both libraries open but would have instead eliminated Sunday hours at all of the libraries and also cut neighborhood library hours from 40 to 20 per week.
The higher real estate tax rate, combined with proffer funds, will eliminate the need for those cuts.
Supervisors also used the higher tax rate to forestall massive cuts to nonprofits.
Early budget plans called for a 15-percent across-the-board cut to all of the county's “community partners.”
That includes groups like SERVE and the Prince William Area Free Health Clinic.
The funding has now been restored and the clinic will actually get an extra $20,000 in the coming year at the request of Chairman Corey Stewart (R).
You must be logged in to post a comment.