Nelson supervisors get peek at '10-11 budget holes

The Nelson County Board of Supervisors got its first peek at the projected budget for 2010-11 fiscal year at a Feb. 25 meeting and is now waiting, like most other localities, to see what the Virginia General Assembly’s next budget move will be.

The Virginia General Assembly is completing its budget process and is scheduled to finalize a budget for the state for the next two years by this week.

In a report to the supervisors, Debbie McCann, the director of finance and human resources for Nelson County, said “legislative decisions could have significant impact on the county’s revenue for the upcoming year.”

McCann said state revenues to the county could decline by more than $550,000 and local revenues are projected to decline by almost $200,000, compared to last year’s numbers.

“We’re trying to stay tuned to everything we’re getting,” McCann said. “We’re just going to have to wait and see to find out what our final numbers will be.”

Supervisors also met with the members of the Nelson County School Board at their Feb. 25 meeting to discuss potential solutions for the possible $1.3 million shortfall in revenue that Nelson County Public Schools could face next year.

The total proposed budget expenditures for Nelson County Public Schools for the 2010-11 school year are $23.2 million, or $360,000 less than the this school year. The schools are slated to receive a proposed $22.1 million in revenue, or $1.4 million less than last year with reductions in state and federal money.

The projected funding contribution from the county to the schools is $11.7 million for the 2010-11 school year and the projected state and federal funding contribution to the schools is $10.4 million for next year.

State money makes up more then $7.6 million of the projected revenue to be received in the 2010-11 school year, more than $800,000 less than in the 2009-10 school year, but that amount could decline in the next month if proposed budget cutting measures are approved by the Virginia General Assembly.

With the budget cuts proposed by Gov. Bob McDonnell, Nelson County Public Schools could lose $480,000 in state funding, according to numbers released from the Virginia Education Association, and an additional $25,000 in state funding if a proposal by McDonnell to unfreeze the composite index funding formula is approved.

The cuts have the potential to leave the school’s budget with a deficit of $1.3 million and not the $880,000 the proposed school budget currently has.

“We are very concerned about losing methods and extra programs that are encouraging our children,” said Nelson County School Board Chairwoman Jane Mays. “Our main goal as the school board is to maintain the educational standards as we have been.”

Jobs and county employees were priorities at the Feb. 25 meeting.

East District Supervisor Allen Hale said he hoped that the supervisors and school board could work together to do as much as possible to not lay off personnel.

West District Supervisor Thomas Bruguiere Jr. said he believed there were ways the school system could cut its budget.

“Everything needs to be on the line,” Bruguiere said. “We fund nonprofits and in the best of interests, I think the children need to come first.”

Central District Supervisor Connie Brennan said education is at the top of the supervisors’ budget commitment list and recommended the officials contact their legislators.

North District Supervisor Tommy Harvey said the budget process is going to “hurt.”

“I don’t think we’ll be able to save every job,” Harvey said. “And we’ll have to be ready to do what we got to do.”

Harvey also said he would not support a tax increase.

“We all have to tighten our belts,” he said.

The Nelson County Board of Supervisors was scheduled to meet again this week at 2 p.m. Tuesday. The Nelson County School Board is scheduled to meet again at 6 p.m. Thursday.