Budget talks begin: County agencies present fiscal requests to Board of Supervisors at workshop

BY SUSAN GIBBS Record Reporter
Published: March 31, 2008

Greene’s Board of Supervisors (the Board) learned how much money County agencies want for the coming fiscal year at its budget workshop Wednesday, March 19.
Tracy Morris, Greene’s Finance Director and Assistant County Administrator, says the agencies most likely to request “significant increases” in County funding are the School District, Social Services, Emergency Services and the Sheriff’s Office.
Speaking for the School District, Superintendent of Schools Ray Dingledine presented the Board with the School District’s preliminary budget, which requested a $662,553 local share of a $2,383,804 budget.
Dingledine noted that “for the first time ever, (enrollment) is flat.“
He noted the School District’s first priority: to make Greene’s schools competitive with surrounding counties by making adjustments to pay scales.
Therefore, “the wage increase is 4.5 percent for all (teachers),“ Dingledine said. Teacher assistants, he added, will be given an eight percent raise.  “Our teacher assistants are the lowest paid (but) they work the most days. The (School) Board has adjusted their days down so they’re working 185 instead of 190.“
Other significant school district expenses include the following, said Dingledine: a 15 percent increase - or an additional $232,350—in the cost of medical insurance, bringing that cost to more than $700,000; and, a recommendation from the state that the School District have “at least a (licensed practical nurse) in every building (to tend to) medically fragile children.“ He added that the state is also “requiring us to add an instructional resource teacher.“
Dingledine told the Board that in order to meet those priorities, a position had been cut from the central office, adjustments had been made to contracts, stipends and transportation, and a $25,000 savings via an adjustment to the School District’s retirement program had been realized.
But at least one Board of Supervisors member is saying he would like to see the School District cut more.
At the workshop, Board Vice-chairman Buggs Peyton called for the elimination of one of two assistant superintendent positions that currently support Dingledine, who will be replaced by Assistant Superintendent David Jeck when he retires effective July 1. 
Not backfilling that position, Peyton said, would affect a savings of $82,245. He also requested that the Health Cottage, which reportedly has an estimated annual operating cost of $167,000, be closed.
As reported in The Record last week, the Cottage evolved from a University of Virginia (UVa) School of Nursing project that was initiated in the fall of 1994 after students found Greene County children to be “medically underserved.“  Funding for the Cottage was secured by a grant that dried after about three years, but the Cottage continued on.
“My contention is that when the funding for any program ceases the program has to cease. I would suggest that you phase out the cottage and that you right-size your staff … and … avoid filtering personnel to makeshift jobs,“ Peyton said.
Peyton said he also had a problem with the School District’s substitute teacher program for retired teachers.
Under that program as it now stands, retirees work less than 25 days per year, get paid for those days, and maintain insurance benefits paid for by the County.
“I was led to believe that the program (entailed having) backfill teachers available at all times … but I have learned that the practice has been expanded to backfill for clerical, custodial and other positions (that) I don’t think can be justified to the taxpayers,“ Peyton said.
In addition, Peyton questioned a request for an additional high school teacher and a tech resource teacher when enrollment is flat and requested that the “School Board … investigate … the escalating insurance cost premium for the school system. “What impact does the retiree substitute bus driver program have on your premiums for your full-time, regular employees,“ he asked.
Another of the agencies that Morris says is requesting a significant increase in County funding is Greene’s Rescue Squad.
Captain Wanda Hedges asked the Board for $197,000 in operational funds, up from a traditional request of between $115-133,000.
Hedges explained that the Squad building and grounds are in need of repair:  “We need to have repairs done (to the present roof), or a new roof … there’s a leak ... like a stream (running down) behind the electrical panel,“ she said. She added that pipes used in the construction of the newer portion of the building had exploded.
Other needs, Hedges said, include communication components for ambulances, new extraction equipment, and equipment to treat people having respiratory, heart and other problems. Rescue Squad volunteers, Hedges added, are required to undergo almost constant training. They are not covered by Workmen’s Compensation, they need uniforms and additional sleeping space.
Hedges told the Board that the Squad will be continuing all of its fundraising activities, but pointed out, “If you go looking at having paid staff around the clock … you’re talking about … more than $2 million, and that’s not including the (ambulances) or anything else.“
The Sheriff’s Office is also showing a significant increase in its request for County funding, Morris says.
At the workshop, Major Randall Snead reminded the Board that, with its approval, he has been working on bringing deputies’ salaries up to par for two years and, “this year, our biggest increase across the board is going to be in salary.“
Snead reported that he is having a contract drawn up that requires “new hires to commit to two and a half years service in Greene and is … working toward accreditation” at the state level.“
Snead has asked for $85,000 in additional County funds this year, but Director of Social Services James Howard cannot be so precise.
Funding for the state’s Comprehensive Services Act (CSA) flow through the Department of Social Services.
Howard - who reported an overall reduction in his budget—said that while he could project costs resulting from pay increases and rising insurance rates, he could not predict what CSA needs might cost the County.
“Usually, the state’s share of social service programs, though variable, should be about 73 percent, leaving the County to pick up 27 percent of the tab,“ Howard explained.
But not so this year.
“On July 1 the locality share of CSA expenditures will drop for kids served in the community,“ Howard explained.
He continued: “On December 1, the first phase of a two-phase increase in the match rates for residential services is going to kick in. The first phase will start December 1; the second phase will start July 1 of 2009.  Then the County’s match rates increase for kids placed in residential placements, and decrease for kids served in the community.
“There is no way to predict what those costs will be.“