Two More Work Sessions for JCC's Proposed Budget, Cuts

By Desiree Parker Tuesday, May 04, 2010

James City County supervisors will hold their final two budget work sessions this week before adopting the budget next week.

The proposed budget contains about $3.5 million in overall reductions to cover another year of lower revenue projections.

County Administrator Sandy Wanner is not proposing any tax increases and hardly any fee increases; instead, there will be reductions and consolidations to make up the gap.

There will be 35 full-time equivalent positions eliminated in the proposed budget, nearly all of them through attrition, which includes the elimination of the Neighborhood Connections program and a creation of a Civic Engagement Coordinator to replace the program.

Also proposed are reductions in some county employee benefits, a reduction to outside agency contributions by about 10 percent, and various changes to Parks and Recreation, including increased fees.

In order to cover costs for stormwater projects, the budget recommends shifting $2 million each year for two years from the county’s balances slated to pay for greenspace and Purchase of Development Rights (PDR), both meant to preserve land in the county, over to the stormwater division. These funds don’t carry the same use restrictions as do greenspace and PRD funds available through referendum-approved future debt, which the county can still use to fund land preservation.
Read a detailed story on the proposed budget here. The budget is available online on the county’s website.

The final two work sessions will be held on Wednesday, May 5, at 3 p.m. and Thursday, May 6, at 7 p.m. The work sessions will be held in the board room of building F in the county’s government complex, and will be televised on channel 48 and available on demand on the county’s website.