Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart will begin his 2008 agenda today unsure whether his dual priorities of an ambitious illegal-immigration crackdown and a limited tax increase are attainable in the face of a daunting budget deficit.
“It’s probably the toughest year the county has faced in 15 years. We need to address it head on and be straight with the people,” Stewart told The Examiner Monday.
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Dramatic property value declines and a projected $51 million shortfall have uncovered deep divisions on the board over financial policy, with a majority of supervisors in December pushing for a higher tax increase than Stewart said he could accept.
Stewart and some fellow Republican supervisors are trying to pare down the budget to reduce the effect of a tax increase at the same time other Republican and Democratic members are contending key services demand more funding, not less.
Despite the obvious tension that has surrounded early budget discussions, Supervisor Mike May, R-Occoquan, said there is an effort to achieve a balance that will fund the crackdown on illegal immigration and other priorities like a new high school while not overburdening taxpayers.
“I think it’s normal for there to be a lot of tension in a governing body during an election year and there’s some of that lingering,” said Vice Chairman Martin Nohe, R-Coles, who split with Stewart on the tax policy in December to honor residents’ desires for better schools and public safety.
Stewart, however, said the county should consider layoffs and program cuts in the discussions before votes on the budget and tax rate in late April.
“We’re going to have to cut back on programming. We’re going to have to lay off employees,” he said.
The division is “issue driven,” said Supervisor Wally Covington, R-Brentsville. “I don’t think we can raise taxes to the level that’s been proposed.”
Supervisors instructed county staff last month to begin drafting a budget that would increase the property tax rate 28 percent that still does not fund the illegal-immigration program. The tax bill would climb only 10 percent for the average homeowner, because of drops in property value.
