Local governments justify budgets to skeptical taxpayers

It's April 10. James City County and Williamsburg say their budgets maintain quality of life. James City and York get the right to charge admissions taxes. York looks at options for new courthouse.

James City County Administrator Scott Stevens, right, and Financial & Management Services Director Sharon McCarthy, left answer taxpayer questions. (Williamsburg Watch photo)

Thursday was the day for local governments to explain their budgets and justify increases to skeptical taxpayers.

For both James City County and Williamsburg officials, the justification for growing budgets was maintaining a high quality of living with services, parks and cultural amenities.

James City County staff held an informational meeting for taxpayers to discuss its budget, while Williamsburg City Council held a public hearing on its budget.

James City County Administrator Scott Stevens told taxpayers that he could certainly cut $13 million more out of the county’s $413.1 million budget, “but I don’t think you would like where we end up in three years.”

As the county population continues growing it would take longer to provide services, Stevens said.

In Williamsburg, Mayor Douglas G. Pons sounded a similar theme. He told a public hearing while there are many places the $121.5 million proposed budget could be cut, “we wouldn’t be the city that we’ve grown to love and appreciate.”

Council Member Stacy Kern-Scheerer said the city’s spending should not be compared with the average at other communities because “we aspire to be better than average.”

Both localities said they needed to pay employees more to retain them, faced higher health insurance premiums, and were managing increases in everything from supplies to the cost of construction for their new buildings.

Only one person spoke at the Williamsburg public hearing.

Carolyn Miller questioned the need to add 14 more full-time employees to the city roster, noting the city’s staff had grown from 192 employees 10 years ago to 240, even though population has remained flat and visits to Colonial Williamsburg were half of what they had been 40 years ago.

James City County resident Steve Maines told Stevens the county was adding double-digit cost increases to residents whose incomes were growing considerably less. He said his private business has to learn to cut corners when costs go up because it can’t force customers to pay more.

Ted Hoover, another county resident, said as the county plans its spending it should make sure it understands what capacity local taxpayers have to pay additional taxes.

James City holds a public hearing on its tax rate and budget next week, April 14.

---

James City can now tax Busch Gardens admissions

Busch Gardens photo

Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed into law a bill that will allow James City and York counties to charge an admissions tax.