Accomack County Supervisors receive FY21-22 Budget Proposal

In February of 2020, the Accomack County received a rosy budget proposal that had provisions for capital improvements,  raises and contributions to the rainy day fund.   Wednesday night, however the Board heard from County Administrator  Mike Mason, that the future doesn’t look so bright and there may be a need to consider a tax increase.

Mason told the Board that the proposed $64.4 million dollar budget includes $4 million for needed capital improvements, which includes money to close a cell at the Northern Landfill and construct a new cell, plus $56.6 million for operations and $3.8 million for debt service.

But Mason also said that the budget does not enable the county to be an adaptable government that finds efficient ways to implement the services we need today and those residents will demand tomorrow.

Mason continued, “without more revenue, the proposed budget focuses our county department at best on maintaining and in some cases, regressing. As presented it is a budget that will likely create a larger problem to have in the next few years.”

Mason also said that the budget is becoming structurally unbalanced largely due to the fact that the tax rate has not been increased since 2016”.

Mason told the board that the situation does not stem from the Covid pandemic and that revenue growth is projected for 2022.

Mason said, “I understand the Board’s position to keep taxes at a minimum, especially during a pandemic, so I have delivered such a budget tonight, but nevertheless, this position produces a depleted budget, which is starved of resources needed to move us forward, void of additional staff, lacking dedicated funding to maintain our equipment and our infrastructure missing significant opportunities to prepare and advance our most important asset, our employees.

Mason said around $1.5 million is needed for maintenance, repairs and equipment replacement and maintenance.

The budget will not allow the County to contribute to the rainy day fund this year which will put the goal of increasing the balance to 16.7% of revenue in 2024, out of reach.

Mason said the County is in desperate of more full time employees.

Mason said that there are two opportunities to increase revenue for the County.  One is a proposed cigarette tax which is expected to generate approximately $422,000 in annual revenue but those revenues may not be realized until next year.  Also Mason said the county could enact a meals tax, which is in place in some of the incorporated towns and could raise as much as $300,000.

The Board met with county departments Thursday night to receive their budget requests for the 2021-22 fiscal year. It will then begin deliberations at the regular monthly meeting on February 17.

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