County, School boards make efforts to close communication gap

By Susan Gibbs, Record Reporter
Published: July 25, 2008

Last fall, prior to elections, candidates for County’s Board of Supervisors and its School Board talked about improving communication between the two boards. Last spring, during budget talked, members of both boards said the same.
Now, the communication they said they wanted to happen is happening.
On July 1, for the first time ever, the School Board joined the Board of Supervisors for its annual retreat, held this year at the Rosebrook Inn in Stanardsville.
“It was a good exercise,” said Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Steve Catalano. “We spent a lot of time with the School Board discussing operations and how to handle constituent complaints. We spent a great deal of time discussing finances, and started to put together long-term budgeting solutions.”
Board of Supervisors Vice-chair Buggs Peyton, added, “We agreed that the Board of Supervisors would take the complaints it receives (about the School District) to the respective district school board member.
Some of the complaints the Board of Supervisors hears about the School District are about the retiree incentive program, which allows retirees to work less than 25 days per year, get paid for those days, and maintain insurance benefits paid for by the County.
Initially, the program was for teachers.
“We receive numerous concerns that (the retiree incentive program) has grown into more than just substitute teachers … that it now (encompasses) librarians, custodial services and (people with) clerical responsibilities,” says Peyton.
Then, in the middle of the month, seven people - three representing the County and four representing the School District - traveled to Hanover County to explore measures that county has taken to better integrate the County and School District budgeting and management processes.
The group consisted of Peyton and Board of Supervisors Member Carl Schmitt, County Administrator Barry Clark, School Board Chairman Darcy Higgins and Member Graydon Lamb, Superintendent of Schools Dave Jeck, and the School District finance director, Kim Powell.
Says Higgins, “We visited a county that has two boards working successfully together. When the meeting was over, we worked on a summary together so both boards would have a good understanding
According to that summary, the group found that in Hanover—where the School Board is appointed, not elected as in Greene—the county and schools have a common stated vision and values. There is a clear expectation that budget recommendations will be balanced and realistic and that both Boards are committed to seeing a budget that serves everyone’s interests.
The summary further stated: (Hanover County has) “a five-year general fund budget projection they maintain which is what is used to develop the annual budget. They use all available resources to develop the projection so that budgets and longer-range projects can be planned with some assurance.
“The county and school finance/budget directors work hand in hand to develop and refine the budget, as do the Administrator and Superintendent. These two relationships are central to the collaborative process being successful … In working the budget, all issues are laid on the table.” The next step, says Catalano, is to continue discussions with the School Board at the Best Western Airport Hotel in August, where, for the first time ever, the Board of Supervisors will participate in that body’s annual retreat.
Peyton is optimistic about the meetings, and where they will lead.
He says they will “take the politics out of the budgeting process and push it back to grassroots of both systems. And the financial officers will … negotiate to a point and present to both boards jointly - way prior to budget process. We hope we will have something in the early fall for next year. ” “Our ultimate goal is to get a clear idea of needs well in advance of the budget request so there will be no surprises,” Peyton concludes.