May Talks Education, Public Safety Funding

Updated

By Stephanie Tipple

Lake Ridge, Va. – Prince William Occoquan District Supervisor Mike May met with residents Wednesday and addressed concerns over the coming county budget process.

The meeting is one in a series of four of town halls, and it for May to present details on the proposed 2013 county budget and speak with constituents.

“We try to anticipate costs that are going to occur,” May commented about this 2012 fiscal year budget. While the budget proposal has been established, there is still much work to be done, as explained by May, including work sessions with the Board of County Supervisors, with a final budget being adopted in April.

The FY 2013 budget is meant to be encompassed in a balanced five year plan, added May.

Adjusting to the tough economic times that the country has been facing, the FY 2013 budget for the county will be down 3.7 percent from the FY 2009 budget, as the county looks for efficiencies and effective ways to minimize cost and boost services to residents. As compared to last year, county schools will receive $19.6 million more, and the county itself will receive $14.8 million more.

In addition to these expenditures, there will be 12 new police officers hired by the county, along with more maintenance work for parks and recreational facilities.

The bulk of spending will be on capital projects and public safety measures in the county, with 40 percent going into the capital projects, and 27 percent going into public safety. Despite the increase in funding for these projects and departments, May cited that Prince William County continues to have the lowest tax rate in Northern Virginia.

One key topic that came up during the meeting was the school budget, and the question of pay raises or merit increases for teachers. As it stands, the FY 2013 budget will look to pay teachers up to a 3% merit pay increase [for county employees], if approved as currently written. Funding for schools will also be tied with county real estate taxes, which are anticipated to be $3,311, with $1,879 of this tax going to fund school and school transfer.

Detailed in the five year plan, the county is looking at the viability of opening another central district police station in the Occoquan area to better serve residents. The county has also been seeking out funding to build more roads, libraries, parks and other community features for residents.

For the FY 2013 budget, there has been an anticipated figure that $913, 134, 117 will be collected in revenue, and that $912, 634, 117 will be paid in expenditures in the 2013 budget year. This budget and five year plan will be presented on March 13, which will lead to work sessions and public hearings, where residents will have access to voice their opinion on the budget, before the budget is adopted, which is slated for April 24.

While residents were highly receptive to the expenditures and plans for the budget, one important piece of information that was discussed was the talk of the Prince William County Park Authority becoming a government department, versus a separate authority. May commented that this is something that would be moving forward, encouraging concerned residents to raise concerns and issues of interest to the staff of the Park Authority, for the time being.