While Goochland isn’t immune to the economic pressure affecting the rest of the country, the good news, according to County Administrator Greg Wolfrey at last week’s Board of Supervisors meeting, is that the county expects to provide the same level of services in 2009 as it has in 2008.

“We’re working on breaking even right now,” said Wolfrey. “That’s the best case scenario.”

In the meantime, he advised county agencies to show fiscal restraint, including freezing employment, cutting travel in education except when related to required professional licenses, and postponing the purchase of office equipment.

“We all know the word ‘no,’” he said. “But sometimes it’s hard when people ask… we’re faced with saying ‘no’ in the future.”

He also suggested the Board of Supervisors meet with the School Board so that goals are in line with budget projections.

“The boards need to get together so there is no confusion about what we’re doing for the citizens of Goochland,” he said.

District 5 Supervisor Jim Eads said he commended Wolfrey on his realism. “We have no idea if we’ve hit the bottom,” he said of the current financial situation.

“We need to show restraint when distinguishing between niceties and necessities.”

Schools requests category transfer of funds

The school board requested a category transfer in the school’s 2008 – 2009 budget of $20,000 from instruction to maintenance, as well as a category transfer of $20,000 from instruction to transportation. 

Both transfers had been approved by the School Board it’s Oct. 14 meeting.

In a memo to the Board, Superintendent Linda Underwood stated, “At the end of FY 08, we were able to buy-ahead a number of 2008-2009 budgeted services such as memberships, software licenses, and insurance premiums in the instruction category. We set aside those saved funds to offset the fuel and electricity cost increases in FY 09.”

Eads protested the transfer, saying that the Supervisors had requested information, including the salaries of school administrative staff, that it had not yet received from the School Board.

“If we had proper information,” he said. “I would rather see any money come from administration to maintenance rather than instruction to maintenance.”

“When we started your budget last year, one of the things we were very cognizant of was that money requested for instruction was fully funded,” he added “When you take money from instruction that defeats the purpose of what we did.”

Underwood said that unforeseen expenses, such as escalating power costs, were underfunded in the current budget.

“It’s critical to have enough money to pay the electric bill, to keep the lights on,” she said, noting that on July 1 Dominion Power raised rates by 18%.

Eads made a motion, that was unanimously passed, that the request be deferred for one month until the Board received further information.

Underwood also requested a supplemental appropriation of unexpended funds, totaling $130,260, to the transportation category.

These funds were left over from a $500,000 appropriation, approved by the Board of Supervisors last month, for vehicles. GCPS plans to use the money to purchase flashing school zone signs that can be installed at Randolph Elementary, Byrd Elementary and on Bulldog Way.

Eads moved to approve this transfer, which was also unanimously passed.

Quick hits:

Real estate assessments
Wolfrey said that real estate assessments for 2009 are 95% complete. Preliminary numbers indicate that the 2009 assessments will be up 2.4% over 2008. Approximately 10% of the properties will be reduced, 25% will not change and the remaining 65% will increase. Final figures will be available Dec. 31.

A ban on smoking?
The board voted unanimously to shelve a proposal, suggested by Virginians for a Healthy Future, to urge the General Assembly to pass legislation restricting smoking in all public places.

Emergency response times
Goochland Fire-Rescue Chief Ken Brown’s said that his agency strives to respond to calls in 15 minutes, 90% of the time.  Eads said that, considering the size of the county, it is unrealistic to promise such a quick response time and suggested that the issue be discussed at the next meeting.