Budget, schools, cluster — A big day on tap Tuesday at the Stafford Board of Supervisors

STAFFORD — It’s going to be one of those marathon Board of Supervisors meetings. 

Elected leaders on Tuesday are not only going to take up the topic of the proposed FY 2019 $583 million budget, but County Administrator Thomas Foley will ask the Board to set a tax rate. At $0.965 for every $100 of the assessed real estate, he’s proposed a rate that’s about three cents lower than last year’s rate. 

Tax rates for the Garrisonville Road and Hidden Lake service districts are lower by about a penny, while other tax rates on aircraft, boats, business property and others remain unchanged. 

Despite the lower tax rates, Stafford’s budget is growing thanks to increased property assessments that are expected to generate an average property tax bill about $145 higher than last year.

From county documents: 

• The proposed budget would authorize the following new, full-time County positions from the General
  Fund to meet service demands:
• 12 Fire and Rescue positions to create a new engine crew funded at one-half year;
• 1 Fire and Rescue Volunteer Program Coordinator;
• 5 Sheriff’s Deputies;
• 2 General Government Employees;
• 2 Economic Development Employees to bring in-house services currently provided by
  contracted staff at minimal cost; and
• 6 Social Services positions, 2 of which are contingent upon state funding for Medicaid/Medicare
  expansion and receipt of 85.5% Federal funding.
• • Authorize 10 new full-time County positions from the Utilities Fund.
• • Authorize a 2% salary increase for County employees, effective July 1, 2018.
• • Implement market pay adjustments, targeted for known deficiencies, including:
•  Social Services Benefit Specialists and Family Services Specialists positions; and
• Sheriff’s Department Communications Officers (the current study is underway).
• • Support the ongoing compensation and classification strategies by providing one-time funding for a
  comprehensive market study with on-going funding to continue to maintain market competitiveness.
• • Provide for the use of Capital Project Reserve funds to fund one-time repair, replacement, and
  rehabilitation cost for County assets.

In addition to the tax rate, Supervisors will also meet with members of the School Board for a joint budget session to be held at the county’s Public Saftey Center next to the courthouse. This year, Foley said much of Stafford’s budget will be used to fund a new day school to educate special needs children. 

Afterward, county leaders will convene again in the Board of Supervisors chambers to hear arguments about changing or repealing the county’s cluster ordinance. If repealed, the move could delay or dismiss multiple projects set to be built in the rural areas of the county.

Opponents of the current cluster ordinance say it’ allows too many homes to be built in the rural areas of the county, and cost taxpayers more in the long run when it comes to increased infrastructure and schools costs. 

Those who want to keep, or work with the county to amend the cluster ordinance, say housing developers have been playing by the rules set by the county when submitting their plans, and that they haven’t had much of an opportunity to work face-to-face with county officials to hash out an agreement on fixes to the legislation. 

Fredericksburg Area Builders Association President Gene Brown states via email: 

“FABA recognizes there is a need to update the county’s cluster zoning ordinance, and we support that effort.

Over the course of the past few weeks, our members have reached out to County officials to express our willingness to work collaboratively in order to revise and improve the existing ordinance.

State law is clear in requiring the County to maintain a cluster zoning ordinance, and we remain concerned that repeal without immediate replacement could put the county in a vulnerable legal position. As taxpayers and residents of the county, we believe the responsible course of action is for Stafford County to take the time necessary to convene stakeholders in a workgroup to develop appropriate revisions. This issue is too important to rush.”

As Brown notes, state law requires Stafford County to have a cluster ordinance. If it is repealed, officials told Potomac Local a new ordinance has not yet been written, and that it could take weeks or months before a new one is in place. 

The Stafford County Board of Supervisors meeting starts one hour earlier than normal at 2 p.m. in the Board Chambers at the county’s government center on Tuesday, March 20, 2018.