Loudoun County is set to vote Tuesday on a fiscal 2010 budget, which includes significantly lower spending for schools and the highest proposed real property tax rate in the region.
County supervisors have tentatively approved a property tax rate of $1.245 per $100 of assessed value for fiscal 2010, which is ‚a 10.5-cent increase from this year’s rate of $1.14.
“I have to say, we could have done better,” said Eugene Delgaudio, R-Sterling, who suggested the board hold more work sessions to discuss reductions.
The Loudoun County Republican Committee has come out against the proposed rate increase.
“This isn’t a Republican or Democratic issue but rather one of fairness and responsibility,” said LCRC Chairman Glen Caroline. “Now more than ever, we need our leaders in Leesburg, Richmond and Washington watching the dollars they are spending and being as frugal and prudent with their pennies as the American taxpayer is with their budget. Anything less will have consequences.”
As supervisors make attempts to increase revenues, they’re also trying to cut spending. They recently voted 5-4 to tentatively cut the school budget by about $27 million. Last week, they deliberated for roughly half an hour over whether to eliminate a single position in the office of transportation services.
The position in question is a planning job held by Arthur Smith, who is retiring. The position costs the county $109,000 per year in salary and benefits. It would be eliminated in one version of the fiscal 2010 proposed budget — a version that reflects a further 10 percent reduction in tax revenue from the county administrator’s proposed $1.44 billion budget presented in February.
“I have a problem paying someone a combination of salary and benefits up to $109,000 for this,” said Board Chairman Scott York, I-at large. “We don’t even pay our deputies that amount of money.”
