HomeMy WebLinkAboutApril 9 2018 Budget Work Session with Finance Committee MinutesKIC1i
MINUTES
Frederick County Board of Supervisors
Budget Work Session
Monday, April 9, 2018
4:00 p.m.
Board Room,107 North Kent Street, Winchester, VA
ATTENDEES
Board of Supervisors: Chairman Charles S. DeHaven, Jr.; Vice Chairman
Gary A. Lofton; Blaine P. Dunn; Judith McCann -Slaughter; J. Douglas McCarthy;
Robert W. Wells and Shannon G. Trout were present. Staff present: Kris C. Tierney, County
Administrator; Jay E. Tibbs, Deputy County Administrator; Cheryl B. Shiffler, Finance Director;
Jennifer Place, Budget Analyst; Sharon Kibler, Assistant Finance Director; Rod Williams, County
Attorney; Ellen Murphy, Commissioner of the Revenue; William Orndoff, Treasurer;
Ann W. Phillips, Deputy Clerk to the Board of Supervisors.
Finance Committee members present: Angela Rudolph
CALL TO ORDER
Chairman DeHaven called the meeting to order at 4:04 p.m.
DISCUSSION
The Board discussed the proposed airplane tax. By consensus, the Board agreed to set the
tax rate at $0.50 per $100 of assessed value only on aircraft under 20,000 pounds.
The Board discussed a proposal from Supervisors Dunn and McCarthy that calls for a
reduction in school operating funds of $865,000 which would be allocated to school capital with
a corresponding appropriation from fund balance, and $570,000 from the one cent real estate tax
increase to be budgeted for school capital expenses.
Supervisor Slaughter noted that there may be increased costs to the County if the General
Assembly approves Medicaid expansion.
Supervisor Trout said she preferred that monies from the proposed one -cent tax increase
be spent on adding deputies and suggested taking the $2.7 million from the fund balance to fully
fund the schools' request.
Supervisor McCarthy said the proposal was not a reduction in funding since it is an increase
over the previous year. He noted constituents had called for better school building maintenance.
Minute Book Number 43
Board of Supervisors Budget Work Session with Finance Committee of04109/78
County of Frederick, Virginia
Supervisor Slaughter expressed support for the Dunn -McCarthy proposal.
Supervisor Trout said the proposed budget is a reduction in planned operating expenses
and will affect the staff and students. She said the proposal is not in line with what constituents
have been asking for.
Vice Chairman Lofton expressed support for the Dunn -McCarthy proposal.
Supervisor Trout said she appreciated the one -cent tax increase and added that it is not wise
to reduce the schools' operating expenses.
Supervisor McCarthy referenced the comment about students being affected and said that
children also suffer when building maintenance is not performed.
Vice Chairman Lofton said that the school overcrowding data is artificial because the
school division had recently adopted state recommendations containing new numbers. Supervisor
Trout said the overcrowding issue is real and cited an example from her classroom when she did
not have enough student desks.
Supervisor Wells said the situation between the two Boards is about more than money and
the Boards need develop a way to trust each other. He said there are capital needs for the schools
as well as in the County and in the long term, department heads and other leaders need to be trusted.
Supervisor Trout said constituents spoke about the Aylor school issue, but they did not
realize that a reduction in the school operating budget was on the table.
Supervisor McCarthy said that maintenance should be done first followed by adding to the
operating budget. He said that the Aylor issue needs to be dealt with, and if the fund balance is
used then the County will not be able to pay for the next unfunded mandate.
Supervisor Dunn said he does not like the one -cent tax increase, but sees it as buying time
for a year. He said that the County needs to raise revenue.
Supervisor Trout expressed concern that the Board has not been compromising with the
schools and appears to be telling the School Board to reduce spending rather than asking that it do
SO.
The Chairman said there appeared to be consensus and asked Ms. Shiffler to clarify the
wording of the draft budget resolution. Ms. Shiffler said the resolution will call for an increase in
the real estate tax rate of one -cent per $100 of assessed value, a tax of $0.50 per $100 of assessed
value on aircraft under 20,000 pounds, a reduction of $865,000 from school operating with a
Minute Book Number 43
Board of Supervisors Budget Work Session with Finance Committee of 04/09/18
County of Frederick, Virginia
333
similar increase in school capital, $570,000 from the one -cent real estate tax increase appropriated
for school capital, and an appropriation of $865,000 from fund balance designated for school
capital expenses.
OTHER
Supervisor Slaughter requested that staff prioritize proposed capital expenses as well as
new position requests.
By consensus, the Board agreed to work sessions scheduled for 4:00 pm on April 17, and
April 24, 2018.
The Board and staff discussed whether both the proposed budget and the proposed tax rate
should be specified in one motion and resolution, as has been the normal procedure, or if the two
items should be handled in separate motions.
Supervisor Slaughter provided information on school capacity based on square footage.
By consensus the Board agreed to request that a representative of the School Board attend a work
session to provide clarification on the issue.
ADJOURN
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:25 p.m.
Charles S. DeHaven, Jr.
Chairman, Board of Supervisors
Kri C. e
Cler Boar of Supe ' ors
Minutes Prepared By: ,"� ,�
Ann W. Phillips `
Deputy Clerk, Board of Supervisors
Minute Book Number 43
Board of Supervisors Budget work Session with Finance Committee of 04/09/18
County of Frederick, Virginia