Powhatan sets hearing on budget that maintains tax rate

JAMIE C. RUFF TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Published: March 7, 2009

POWHATAN -- The Board of Supervisors is advertising a $71.9 million budget that maintains the current tax rate.

During a meeting this week, the board set a public hearing on the 2010 budget for 7 p.m. March 23 in the Powhatan High School auditorium. Supervisors are scheduled to adopt the county budget April 6.

The proposed budget calls for the county's real estate tax rate to remain at 71 cents per $100 of assessed value and the personal property tax rate at $3.60 per $100 of assessed value.

The proposal includes $15.2 million in general government funding, $1.6 million in social services funding, $2 million in utilities funding, $7.1 million in debt services funding, $1.4 million in school food funding and $450,000 in cash proffer funding.

The budget also includes $44.1 million in school funding, including $19.7 million in local funds for the school system -- representing the same level of funding as this year.

Paul Imig, assistant superintendent for finance and budget operations, told the supervisors that besides expecting level funding from the county, school officials built their budget with the anticipation of losing $2 million in state and federal funds.

"That didn't just happen," Imig told the board Wednesday. "That was significant."

Imig said the system could also receive $861,700 in federal stimulus funds, and board Chairman Robert R. Cosby said that it is possible the stimulus money could free some county funds currently earmarked for the school system.

Cosby said that should the stimulus money allow the system to receive more than the $44.1 million the system is advertising for its budget, "we've got to do some talking."