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Governor L. Douglas Wilder and Sen. Andrews have had long-standing political disagreements which came to a head this past year. “If the governor gets on the opposite side, it could help,” he said. “The politics of this are real shaky.”
In other matters concerning money the board approved the school budget for the coming year after cutting $50,000 from the bottom line. The school budget for next year totals $4,457,999. Of that $2,409,019 comes from the county's general fund, an increase of $250,284 or 10 percent over the current budget.
The supervisors also considered the Health Department budget. It calls for an increase of $19,900 in the county’s share. Again, two-thirds of the increase is due to the new JLARC formula, which requires the county to pay approximately do percent of the overall budget for next year, compared to 30 percent this year, district health director I)r. James Burns told the supervisors.
He said the local share will increase an additional five percent a year for the next two years until the county is responsible for 45 percent of the budget. Dr. Burns said he has been able to cut the amount he asked for because he has found a doctor who is retiring in the area and who is willing to do clinics for free.
Mr. Gilkey asked if the county could offset the increase by charging more for fees, and Dr. Burns replied that fees can be increased for septicsystem inspections, for regulating wells and for subdivision certifications. “There is room for revenue generation by fees,” he said.
“The people who are getting the services ought to be paying for it by fees, rather than it coming from general revenue,” Mr. McCarthy said.
Kevin Mitchell, acting director of the Rappahannock-Rapidan Community Services Board, asked the supervisors for $21,080, an increase of $1,916 over the current year. He said that all the localities were being asked to increase their contribution by 10 percent, and that with the increase Rappahannock’s contribution would be $3.15 per capita, up from $3.05 this year.
Piedmont District representative Charles K. “Pete” Estes asked if all localities in the planning district were being asked to pay $3.15 per capita.
“That’s a good question,” Mr. Mitchell said. “We have asked all for a 10 percent increase, but the funding levels vary.” He said that Fauquier County has the highest per capita contribution in the district, and that Rappahannock’s share is the second highest. “They have never been the same,” he said.
Mr. McCarthy said that a higher percentage of Rappahannock’s population is participating in the services provided by the board, which includes mental health, mental retardation, substance abuse counseling and services to senior citizens.
The Fire and Rescue Association, which represents the county’s seven volunteer fire and rescue de
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