By Desiree Parker
Friday, May 07, 2010
James City County supervisors finished their budget discussions earlier than expected this week and recommended only a few changes, including adding back funding for Hospice.
Hospice House, which offers a home setting with free 24-hour care for those who are dying, received word earlier in the year that they weren’t being recommended to receive funds in the upcoming budget. They’ve received funding from the county for more than 25 years; in the current fiscal year, their funding was cut from almost $22,000 to just under $10,000.
Hospice was concerned that the elimination of their funding in the upcoming budget would also mean reductions for them from other agencies like the United Way (read a
previous story on the cut here) . Hospice had tried to raise money by allowing a cell tower to be built on their property, but the Planning Commission nixed that idea because too many neighbors complained that it would be an eyesore. The cell tower would have given the organization an additional $40,000 annually.
Since the budget proposal was released two weeks ago, many people involved with Hospice have spoken to supervisors to plead for funding.
At their Wednesday work session, staff explained to supervisors how decisions on funding for outside agencies were made. Criteria included whether the services provided by an agency would need to be offered by the county if the agency weren’t around, whether the agency did their best to get other outside funding, and whether the services were essential to county residents.
The allocations group that decided outside agency funding for the upcoming budget had to make tough choices due to another two years of expected low revenues, and they decided Hospice didn’t quite make the mark.
Both Chairman Jim Kennedy and supervisor John McGlennon agreed that Hospice deserved another look. They do a good job for the community, both men argued.
“I think it’s an enhancement to the county,” McGlennon said. He also said it was a good thing “when we go above and beyond the level [of service] government offers.”
Because there was an extra savings in the stormwater division due to consolidation of office space that resulted in $30,000 saved, supervisors agreed to use the money to fund Hospice at their full request level of $9,000. The extra savings will be put in the contingency fund.
Though supervisors kept other reductions to outside agencies, they agreed to revisit discussions on the James City Volunteer Rescue Squad. The volunteer rescue squad was cut by more than $24,000 mainly due to lower response rates (read a story on the issue here), and is currently working with county staff to improve its performance.
McGlennon and supervisor Jim Icenhour were also interested in adding back funds to the Williamsburg Land Conservancy, which buys and maintains easements and undeveloped land around the county. Their funding was cut from $5,000 to $500, but McGlennon argued the group provides a service by buying and maintaining greenspace that otherwise might need to be taken care of by the county.
Supervisors agreed that they might reconsider if the conservancy offers a related service to the county, which staff will discuss with the organization soon.
Though the funding wasn’t added back to the budget, supervisors can still vote later in the year to restore funds to the conservancy and the volunteer rescue squad.
Supervisors were scheduled to have one more work session on the budget Thursday evening, but they’ve cancelled it now that discussion is complete. They are set to vote on adopting the budget next Wednesday, May 11, at their regular meeting. Read the budget in its entirety on the county’s website.
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