Although the recent passage of the General Obligation Bond put out one economic wildfire in Virginia, another has sprung up. Albemarle County is facing a $2.8 million budget deficit.
County executive Robert W. Tucker said lower car tax revenues coupled with a nearly $400,000 cut in state funding created this new firestorm that could singe more than one county program's budget.
The school system will bear the burden of nearly half the reductions, Tucker said.
Assistant County Executive Thomas Foley said the school system is obligated to take on $1.3 million of the reductions because of a preexisting revenue sharing agreement with the county.
"The $1.3 million is based on a formula for sharing revenue," Foley said."That's [the school system's] share based on current numbers."
To save the other $1.5 million, the county executive has made recommendations to the Board of Supervisors to reduce general government spending by cutting capital projects and operating budgets countywide, he said.
In the county executive governing system, the office of the county executive only can make proposals to the Board of Supervisors.The Board, consisting of six members representing different sections of the county, makes all decisions.
Both Foley and Tucker said the Acquisition of Conservation Easements Program, a 3-year-old county program that pays landowners not to develop land, may also see the axe.Through the ACE program, the county has prevented development throughout the county both on the fringes of Charlottesville and deeper into Albemarle's more rural areas.
Tucker said the $1 million a year program could lose up to 40 percent of its funding.
The county has begun to take steps to reduce spending in light of the present deficit and in anticipation of future financial troubles, Foley said.
The county has asked all county departments and agencies to draw up plans for 2 to 4 percent reductions in their operating budgets, according to county officials.
The $2.8 million deficit only represents a shortfall of 2 percent in the county's almost $200 million budget. But with Gov. Mark R. Warner due to announce more possible statewide cuts Dec. 20, Tucker said the county is fully anticipating more slashes in funding.
The Commonwealth only has announced half of its budget reducing measures, so the county is right to expect at least a similar or even more substantial cut announced by Warner next month, Foley added.
Tucker said there is, however, a familiar light at the end of the tunnel -- economic growth.
"The economy will just have to take an upswing," he said.
County officials begrudgingly concede, though, that asking for growth and getting it are two different things.
"Unfortunately most of the forecasts we've seen don't look good," Tucker added. "But, a lot of states across the country, especially southern states, are facing similar kinds of problems."
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