Prince William County supervisors on Tuesday gave initial approval to a nearly $850 million budget for fiscal 2010 that partly restores programs such as child care and transportation for senior citizens.
The nonbinding straw vote came after supervisors added about $4 million to the budget. The additional funds came from the discrepancy between the proposed tax rate of $1.19 per $100 of assessed value in County Executive Craig Gerhart’s proposed budget and the tax rate of $1.212 advertised by the board.
The board, led by Chairman Corey Stewart, restored about $1.2 million to human services programs, including transition funding for outsourcing its Bluebird bus tour program, transportation for the elderly and child care.
“I think everyone is shocked that we could come up with a budget that [would] slash spending and significantly cut taxes in one of the toughest budget years the county has ever faced,” Stewart said.
The board also set aside $1.8 million for a “cops grant” that would add 25 police officers in fiscal 2010 instead of 2012, depending on federal stimulus funding.
Stewart noted that homeowners would see an average $430 cut in their property tax bills. The average commercial bill would increase by an average of 6 percent, though, and the proposed tax rate of $1.212 is up from this year’s rate of 97 cents.
Supervisors are scheduled to adopt the tax rate and budget April 28.
