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Haymarket plans for 'ultra-conservative' budget
Town of Haymarket citizens can expect to have the same levels of service for the next year but not much else if projected revenues do not increase in the next three months.During a budget session Saturday morning, council members discussed with staffers what should be the priority spending items for fiscal year 2011.
Items that made the initial cut included:
* Paying down the Harrover property (police station) debt on the east side of town;
* Paying $18,000 for police cruisers in their second year of a three-year lease, along with $6,000 for mobile data computers in the cruisers;
* Providing retirement packages for town employees, including the police department;
* Providing seed money for the next phase of the Street Scape project ($140,000) in front of the police station;
* Maintaining current staff levels, including some salary increases.
"There are still some issues to work out, but we're on a good planning track," said vice mayor John Cole. "The more data that comes in, the better the budget is going to be."
Cole described what the council members worked out as an "ultra-conservative initial budget."
Council members decided not to increase the town's 4-percent meals tax and crafted a priorities list based on the Town Center property not being sold to commercial developer Gerry Kennedy prior to the June budget deadline.
Adjustments to the preliminary budget will likely be made several times during the next three months as more revenue data becomes available.
"The inescapable factors (are) there are debt services, the cruisers, and there's not much money left for anything else," said Council Member Bob Weir, who described Saturday' session as "better than expected.
"If they go through with what they want to go through with the baseline that was established, then there's not much money left for anything other than the necessities," added Weir.
Council members anticipate that when more figures come in, they'll find out they have more money for the long term.
The current budget proposal is comprised of items the council deemed essential. Numbers still to come will affect the current $360,000 projection from the meals tax and how much public safety money will come in from the state government.
"If the picture is better, then we can start going down that list and getting things that we wanted," said Cole. "We have to look at each and every request and make sure we have the money to do it and that sort of thing. It's just going to be an ongoing very high oversight next year, looking at every request: how critical is that request? What can be done?"
Of the meals tax money, council members discussed setting aside about $250,000 for bills. Not included in that package is a new trolley, which several council members wanted but will not get.
To date, only council members Weir and Milt Kenworthy have said they oppose the town operating a trolley.
"I was really hopeful," said council member David Leake. "To me, it was a vision that you would have to step out on faith that the revenues would come in but it would be a shame if we couldn't go through that with the grants being offered."
Weir countered, "Well, there's no money for a trolley. All of those items that were on the (capital improvement projects) wish list: you're either going to have find money for it within the existing budget structure or there's going to be no money for it."
Council members did agree that part-time town planner Marchant Schneider, who works full time in the Loudoun County Planning Office, should also stay on with an annual salary of $7,500.
Leake, the council's liaison to the Planning Commission, said Schneider's presence has kept the town better organized before and during meetings throughout the last year.
The Planning Commission even reinstated preparatory meetings, usually held the Friday before the public monthly commission meetings.
"I think that's a good need and a good service," said Leake of having a planner. "I think he's a great asset to the town."
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