“Most of it is mandated,” Mr. Miller pointed out.

“Most of it is mandated,” Mr. Miller pointed out.

“I think we should request a state-mandated jump rope,” Mr. Lane quipped, “so that when they say jump we can say ‘one, two, three’.”

A $20,000 savings

In the end, the board cut approx* imately $20,000 from the figure of more than $6 million which was advertised for the public hearing.

Although the additional cuts represent, according to Mr. Cox, about one cent on the tax rate, cutting the advertised 69-cent rate to 68 cents would leave the county with no operating cushion.

“Do we have enough here?” Mr. Henry asked.

‘To do the job,” added Mr. Miller.

“There’s not a margin,” Mr. McCarthy pointed out. “The worst case scenario is $360,000 for the year to haul our trash to Richmond. Then, to develop the landfill site would eat into the $200,000 (budgeted for site development of the landfill).”

He reminded the board that the bid for hauling the county’s trash from the sole bidder, Browning-Ferris Inc. of Winchester, came in almost $160,000 above what the county had budgeted.

“Could we squeeze that $158,000 cushion and still come in at a 69-cent rate?” Mr. Miller asked.

“We could,” replied Mr. Estes, “if we change the rate structure on land use taxation.”

“They are talking worst case scenario,” Mr. McCarthy added, “which we hope will not happen.”

Mr. Miller observed that the excess surplus of about $200,000 in the county’s general fund has been carried specifically in the expectation that it be used to help absorb the huge expenditure necessary to establish a new landfill.

“That’s OK,” Mr. Cox replied, “as long as you’re sure that $360,000 (for hauling) is not a recurring expense year after year.”

“We hope not,” said Mr. McCarthy.

As the public hearing was closed, it appeared that the supervisors, at a special meeting set for Monday, June 22, will approve the county’s budget as amended at the public hearing and set next year’s tax rate at the advertised level of 69 cents per $100 assessed valuation.