Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 18, 1993 TAG: 9302180306
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: ROBERT FREIS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
BUDGET TOO BIG, BOARD TOLD
The scalpels will be sharpened and waiting when the Montgomery County School Board defends its proposed 1993-94 budget before the county's supervisors next week.The supervisors fired a warning shot across the School Board's bow Wednesday, saying the proposed $48.3 million school budget is too high.
Instead of considering that budget, which is a 34.5 percent increase, the supervisors want the level-funding-based school budget they originally requested.
Reacting to hard economic times, Montgomery County Administrator Betty Thomas told all county departments - including county schools - to submit budgets that did not exceed the present year's spending.
"They have disregarded what we told them and done what they darn well pleased," said Supervisor Joe Gorman. "We gave them a target, and they missed it."
Only minutes into their first work session on the proposed $72.2 million 1993-94 county budget, the supervisors attacked the requested school funding.
If approved intact, the school budget would cost an additional $6.5 million in local revenue, requiring an increase in the county's 70-cent real estate tax rate by nearly 50 percent.
"What are you willing to raise the taxes at? That's what you're facing," Chairman Ira Long said.
"It's very doubtful I'll vote for a tax increase of even 1 cent."
The supervisors told Thomas to send a letter telling School Board Chairman Roy Vickers to attend a Tuesday work session with a budget containing no increases.
They rejected the School Board's tactic of submitting one preferred "educationally responsible" budget of $48.3 million and two lesser proposals: an "essential" $44.5 million budget and a "minimum" $42.9 million budget.
"We're just going to get into another public relations war," said Supervisor Nick Rush. "But if they don't want the responsibility of cutting the budget, I'll do it."
The minimum budget contains no raises for school employees. The essential budget contains 2 percent across-the-board raises, and the preferred budget contains raises averaging 7.7 percent and puts county teachers back on an equalized salary scale.
The supervisors also considered the budget of Sheriff Ken Phipps, who is asking for about a $300,000 increase, mostly for jail operations.
Phipps told the board he's lost money due to state revenue cutbacks and has less room at the county jail to house prisoners from other localities.
The population of local inmates has increased dramatically during the past year, allowing less space for inmates from other jurisdictions, which reimburse the county for housing their criminals.
Phipps said he has more prisoners and fewer deputies to handle them, and asked the county for help. Supervisors said they'd let him know at their next work session on Saturday.