Solving for the unknown

On Tuesday, April 21, Goochland supervisors adopted a budget for fiscal year 2021, which begins on July 1, and kept tax rates unchanged for calendar year 2020. The final spending plan for fiscal 2021 is far different from that proposed on February 18, which now seems eons ago. As on April 7, they assembled in the board meeting room and held the session electronically via Zoom and livestream.

At the start of the meeting Board Chair Susan Lascolette, District 1, thanked everyone for their patience and support as the county works through the current crisis.

County Administrator John Budesky said that he is proud of the heart-warming way that staff and the community have stepped up to support the residents in need. He said that the survival and success of local businesses is dependent on continued community support. “They were vital to us before the pandemic and will continue to do so as we come out.”  Budesky said that the county is proud that it has been able to keep parks open and maintain full capacity at the convenience centers. Patience and cooperation of our residents has enabled this.

There was no electronic citizen comment.

The consent agenda included approval of a transfer to the board budget of up to $30,000 from the contingency reserve to retain an executive search firm to find a new county chief executive officer.

Budesky submitted his resignation on March 25, effective June 30, when he will leave to assume the same job in Hanover County.

The last two times the county changed chief executive officers; an interim county administrator was appointed to allow time for a thorough search. In 2009, following the abrupt retirement of the incumbent, an interim county administrator was hired to fill the post. In 2016, following the retirement of the incumbent, the county attorney took the helm for several months. The supervisors have given no indication how they will proceed this time around.

County Director of Finance Barbara Horlacher presented proposed budget amendments that balance expenditures and revenues using a conservative best guess analysis of past fiscal downturns. She and her staff are to be commended for crafting these changes on short notice.

The amended proposed budget reduced spending by  approximately $4.1 million to balance with expected reduced revenue of the same amount. The lower number was arrived at by removing all new positions except for some in public safety—3 deputies, 3 fire-rescue providers—and vehicles except one for the sheriff. General Services had five percent removed, consistent with other non-public safety departments and elimination of new positions. (see the April 21 board packet at http://goochlandcountyva.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1257&Inline=True for complete details)

Horlacher admitted that she “took a hatchet, not a scalpel” to some categories, which will be revisited going forward as actual results become available. Merit raises and salary benchmarking were also eliminated. Contingencies were increased from $200 k to$491K to deal with unplanned situations as real world conditions dictate.

The local transfer to schools was reduced by $950,000, keeping the amount for schools level with the current fiscal year. The health department and community service board (CSB) will be funded as originally presented in February because their functions will be needed during and after the current crisis, said Horlacher.

The Capital improvement budget eliminated all items except the $1.4 million ladder truck, which takes 18 months to arrive after ordering; one sheriff vehicle; computer refreshes; and upgrades  for Randolph Elementary school, which are partially funded by  soon to  “expire” proffer money, which must be used in the near future.

Ken Peterson, District 5 thanked Horlacher, Budesky and the entire county staff for their work on the budget. Expenditures were reduced by about eight percent to deal with a similar expected reduction in revenues to arrive at a balanced budget.

“We did this without raising taxes. We balanced the budget without firing or furloughing anyone or cutting anyone’s pay, or raiding the rainy-day fund, without issuing new debt. This is a decisive and fiscally responsible budget in the uncertain times we live in. We put into place a work team to manage this situation monthly and come back to this board with revisions. This is our best guess to deal with where things are heading,” Peterson said.

School Superintendent Dr. Jeremy Raley, by phone, thanked the board for its “consideration and making tough decisions during these difficult times as we work through this crisis together.” He too was grateful for   a thoughtful budget that maintains salaries and benefits for valued and dedicated employees. Raley thanked the supervisors for their continued support of our school division and its objectives.

Lascolette said that Raley is a valued partner and she looks forward to work together through this difficult time “This was tough. We’re not used to going backwards in Goochland, but we will go forward again,” Lascolette said before the board voted to go into closed session to discuss recruitment of a new county administrator.