What will government cost you this year?
Good morning! Local governments awake from holiday slumber this week to lay plans for their new budgets. We'll look at how much it may cost you.
Meals and admissions taxes are on the calendar this week in Williamsburg…the Williamsburg-James City County school board starts gaming out its new budget…and real estate appraisals are expected to increase by double digits, on average, in James City County and York County.
Besides covering inflation and construction projects, keeping staff compensation competitive remains a constant theme of budgeting exercises for local government. York County says it will cost $8 million this year to make staff pay competitive in the local market.
And as always, uncertainty about federal and state budgeting impact local planning. Over the next few months local governments will flesh out plans for next year’s fiscal year, which begins July 1.
Here’s a blow-by-blow account of important dates along that journey this week:
Williamsburg-James City County Schools
Local school board members hold their first work session on the new school budget Tuesday, knowing they are already behind the curve in getting the money they want.
The system’s main funders, James City County and Williamsburg, agreed to increase funding by $6 million in the next fiscal year, a jump of 5%. That does not include money from the state, which is the second largest funder, or the federal government.
Add in other items on the school plan, including hiring new staff to improve student behavior and a projected increase in medical insurance, and the total increase is $15.3 million to $17 million next year, according to school CFO Rene Ewing.
Local school enrollment has been basically flat for a decade, but spending increases significantly outpace both inflation and school numbers, according to our analysis of the numbers.
The preliminary document school board members reviewed last year is here.
“Even if the county and the city write us blank checks, there is only so much that they have,” said outgoing chair Sarah G. Ortego.
Ortego won’t have a seat at the table after the school board’s organization meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 6. Ortego, a Republican, narrowly lost her Powhatan district seat to Democrat Ty Hodges, who will be sworn in Tuesday.
School board members insisted schools need to phase in their $6.8 million in planned compensation increases over the next two years to make teacher pay more comparable to competing school systems. The pay increases followed the recommendation of a compensation study a consultant provided comparing staff pay locally to other school systems in Hampton Roads.
“The compensation study is something we can’t slow down”, said Berkeley District representative Randy Riffle. “I wont be backing down.”
Williamsburg votes Thursday on raising meals, lodging taxes, adding admissions tax
Faced with a public outcry from restaurateurs and business groups over plans to increase the meals and lodging taxes and add an admissions tax, City Council punted on a decision when they approved the current budget last May.
But they’re back on city council’s meeting agenda this Thursday at 2 p.m.
Cynics may get a laugh at the goal listed in staff memos urging the council approve those taxes: “Courageously leading”.
Public opposition to the proposed taxes last spring led city council to hold off deciding on the increases for the rest of the year.
Council members asked city staff to keep the 7% proposed increase in lodging taxes but lower the meals tax by half a percentage point, to 6.5%
Staff also amended the proposed admissions tax to exempt school events and cap total tax at 10% of the first $10 collected.
Staff is recommending city council approve both changes and put the taxes into effect this year.
There will be no new public hearing on the matter, which will be under the city’s unfinished business agenda.
This week’s government meetings: James City County will talk horse grazing limits
Planning commissioners hold a public hearing Wednesday, Jan. 7, proposing more tightly regulating horse farms in James City County in the name of protecting the water supply. Wednesday’s meeting begins at 6 p.m. EST in the County government center board room at 101 Mounts Bay Rd.
Williamsburg City Council work session
Monday, Jan. 5, 4 p.m., Stryker Center
Williamsburg Board of Zoning Appeals
Tuesday, Jan. 6, 4 p.m. Stryker Center
Williamsburg City Council regular meeting.
Thursday, Jan. 8, 2 pm. Stryker Center
Williamsburg-James City County School Board
Budget work session and organizational meeting. Tuesday, Jan. 6. 4 p.m. Room 300 Annex of school board central office, 117 Ironbound Road.
Passings
Pauline “Chris” Biernacki, age 91, Dec. 24.
Antoine Ashby Sr., 66, Dec. 21.
Linda Mae Daniels Little 75, Dec. 24.
Frances Leah Pregley, 88, Dec. 29.
Herve Henri Ouellette Jr. ,88, Dec. 28.
Thomas David Ertel, 84, Dec. 29.
Milton L “Coolu” Wright, 70. Dec. 28.