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Town
Council
to vote
on budget
next month
By Gerald Ochs Special to the Rappahannock New*
The Washington Town Council held a public hearing May 14 on a Fiscal Year 2004 budget that reflects the uncertainties of town capital projects and related real estate ventures.
At first glance one might | reach the conclusion that the
| council plans to engage in a major spending spree—with budgeted expenditures jumping from $283,000 this year to more than $1.8 million j next year—but the bulk of the increase pertains to costs of initial construction of the prospective wastewater treatment system and to the purchase of the Clopton parcel as an alternative to the Avon j Hall wastewater treatment site.
The revenue side of the proposed budget has increased concomitantly, with projections of income from real estate transactions amounting to $1.35 million and an additional $150,000 from the sale of Avon Hall contents.
Treasurer Jerry Goebel cautioned that amounts included in the proposed budget are projections. > He added that he thought that some of the income projections were conservative.
The hearing on the budget was brief, and wandered from a comment by Barbara Stockton that the budget document did not include a comparison with the current year’s budget to a discussion about the wastewater treatmenCsystem.
Few comments were made by council members after the close of the public hearing.
The council will vote on next year’s budget at its June 11 meeting.
Meanwhile, Treasurer Jerry Goebel reported on the town’s finances, noting consolidated assets of $238,718 up $5,000 from that noted In April, and water works assets of $5,073.67 through the close of the April reporting period.
In other activities, the council held a public hearing on revisions to the town’s Zoning Ordinance, but declined action on adoption of the changes after Planning Commission member Barbara Stockton pointed out that the Planning Commission never held a public hearing itself.
The council agreed to convene a joint public hearing on the revisions with the Planning Commission on August 25.
Council member Claudia Mitchell reported that Green Valley Auctions will display Avon Hall inventory on its website (www.greenvalleyauctions. com) prior to the auction on June 27 and June 28.
Interested bidders can also obtain absentee bid forms from the website.
She also noted that the 4H Club, Washington Fire and Rescue the First Baptist Church and Washington Baptist Church had agreed to provide food vending at the auction, and that “one or two” other nonprofit organizations may be needed for food vending as well.
Council member Jeff Benson added his comments regarding the impending auction, reporting that Roger Pierson and the Boy Scouts had agreed to provide parking and parcel-carrying services, and that Steve Critzer had offered ‘to grade and apply gravel to the Avon Hall drive in exchange for the equipment left outside of Avon Hall.
On a motion by Claudia Mitchell, the council agreed.
Mayor Leggett announced that the council will appoint a new member to the Planning Commission at its June 11 meeting.'
He asked that any qualified resident who is interested in the appointment submit a resume by June 4.
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