A contentious budget season has nearly wrapped up for Stafford County.
It may not have been the consensus they wanted, but the Board of Supervisors approved a budget for fiscal year 2025, with Stafford County Public Schools getting a $13 million increase but not the $15 million the school board had requested.
“The local government portion of our budget process concluded with relative success last night with a vote … to fund most of the school board’s funding request for operations, granting us the ability to offer raises to staff for the upcoming school year,” Superintendent Thomas Taylor wrote in an email to school division personnel.
“Despite yesterday’s successes, I would be remiss if I didn’t share my disappointment in a few things. Even after last night’s vote, Stafford Schools are not fully funded. We are $2 million short of the school board’s approved budget and over $40 million short of our actual needs. Stafford remains one of the poorest funded school divisions in one of the worst-funded states in the country for funding public education. This was a long and strenuous ‘budget season’, fraught with political maneuvering and unsavory adult behaviors,” Taylor continued.
The board voted 5-2 Tuesday night to approve an effective real estate tax rate of 91 cents ($0.9067) per $100 of assessed value. Supervisors Meg Bohmke of the Falmouth District and Crystal Vanuch of Rock Hill cast the opposing votes (watch here). The rate includes a $0.0131 fire levy.
“We have made progress but there is more to be made,” Bohmke said. “But I believe we could’ve sharpened our pencils a little more.”
The board unanimously approved Vanuch’s motion to defer the public hearing on the vehicle personal property tax to the April 16 meeting. As advertised, the rate is $5.89 with an effective rate of $2.95. County staff said they anticipate a rate of $5.69 (effective rate $2.85) would meet the proposed revenue growth.
In addition to increasing the school division’s budget by $13 million, the budget also included a $6 million increase in capital funding for ongoing maintenance projects (3R projects) coming from an increase in Virginia Public School Authority bonds.
A resolution was passed to remove $1.3 million from the budget originally intended for the Carl Lewis building project to hold for the school system as an emergency fund. The board also adopted ordinances to raise the cigarette tax from 30 cents to 40 cents per pack and to raise the transient occupancy tax from 7 to 9%, with the first 2% going to tourism, and the rest to the general fund to support the Carl Lewis building and improvements at Musselman Park.
The Board approved the FY2025-34 Capital Improvement Program as part of the budget approval. The Board emphasized the need for new schools by continuing work on High School No. 6 and beginning construction on elementary schools Nos. 18 and 19 in the upcoming fiscal year.
A public hearing will be held on May 21 for the $91 million bonds to be sold to the VPSA for capital improvement projects, which include the new high school and two new elementary schools.
Two substitute motions that attempted to remove Elementary School No. 19 from the budget because of controversy surrounding the location failed. Bohmke, Vanuch, and Pamela Yeung of the Garrisonville District voiced their displeasure about the school being located near Brooke Point High School.
Design work will begin on a new fire station at Embrey Mill. Work on the 2019 Road Bond Referendum projects will continue with the Berea Church Road Improvement Project, the Route 1 and Telegraph Road/Woodstock Lane Intersection Improvement Project, the Enon Road Improvement Project, the Onville Road Improvement Project, the Shelton Shop Road Improvement Project and the Route 1 and Courthouse Road Intersection Improvement Project.
Before going into closed session, the board heard from Fire Chief Joe Cardello. Cardello addressed the board about the Stafford Department of Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Service applying for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant. The grant is available through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The grant funds would allow the department to hire additional career firefighters. After discussion about the price and location of additional fire stations and the need for engines, the motion failed 4-3, with Bohmke, Vanuch, Yeung and Supervisor Darrell English of the Hartwood District opposing.
The new budget and utility fees go into effect July 1. The tax rates are based on a calendar year and will be effective starting with the June payments.
