BOCS Passes FY2014 Budget, Plans to Cut Drug Rehab Program for Inmates

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The Board of County Supervisors voted to adopt the FY 2014 budget, which raises property taxes, keeps the Columbus Day holiday for county employees and funds additional police officers in place of a drug rehabilitation program for prison inmates.

The budget passed in a six to two vote. Chairman (At-large) Corey Stewart (R) and Wally Covington III (Brentsville-R) voted against it as was expected from last week's straw poll. However, there were some changes from last week's preliminary budget.

Notably, the DORM drug rehabilitation program for inmates, health department and maintenance departments all experienced cuts, while new police positions were added to the fiscal year 2014 budget, and the Columbus Day holiday was reinstated for county employees.

Property Taxes Increased

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors adopted the average tax bill at a 2.3 percent increase from fiscal year 2013.

The board set the tax rate at $1.181 per every $100 of assessed value, which is a reduction in the tax rate from last year’s $1.209 rate, though an increase in the average tax bill due to a rebound in the local real estate market. In addition, the revenue sharing agreement with Prince William County Schools was changed from 56.75 to 57.23 percent with the majority percentage going to the school system, though Chairman At-large Corey Stewart (R) voted against this part of the budget.

Columbus Day

Before approving the budget this week, the supervisors had to consider how to apply more funds made available from the state, and if they should a restore a popular but costly holiday to county employees. The board decided to bring back the Columbus Day holiday for county employees at the cost of $450,000 per year, after supervisors received emails and phone calls in opposition to cutting the holiday.

As Supervisor John Jenkins (D-Neabsco) said, “I like the idea of restoring the holiday to our employees. We kicked their benefits to the point that it’s not funny anymore. I’d have nothing but phone calls and emails (about this). Our staff out here, they’ve just had it, and we need to do something to get that holiday in there as a fringe benefit.”

The board also decided to fund four more police officers in 2014, while eliminating $150,000 from health department salaries, the portion of salaries supplemented by county funds to account for a higher cost of living in Northern Virginia. In addition, they agreed to eliminate another $310,000 planned as an increase to the public works cyclical maintenance fund for 2014. These funds were intended to restore funds to their pre-recession levels.

The DORM Debate

The board had an opportunity to reinstate the DORM drug rehabilitation program for inmates, after the state provided an additional $426,000 in agency funding. However, the supervisors instead chose to earmark the funds for four additional police officers. Supervisors decided they would look for funding for the DORM program in the near future, and deferred their vote on eliminating the program. Should the program be eliminated, 11 employees would lose their jobs.

The state-provided $426,000 in funding could have partially funded the DORM program. However, supervisors would still have needed to find more funds to keep the $607,113 program within the county. Supervisor Frank Principi (D-Woodbridge) had a plan to completely restore funding to DORM, cutting the cyclical maintenance and health department funds he previously defended. Although his cost-cutting plan was implemented, the funds were not earmarked for DORM.

Primarily, Supervisor Pete Candland (R-Gainesville) opposed Principi's plan, saying he would prefer to spend his cost-savings on police, fire fighters or teachers, or even to further reduce the tax rate. However, Principi said he did not see  the logic of eliminating the program.

“It is a public safety program, not unlike funding new officers. Where is the logic here? Why not fund DORM? We have the money today to save jobs, rather than producing four new jobs.” Principi said.

Candland disagreed, saying that the police and fire chiefs have both discussed the need for new officers with the board. County Executive Melissa Peacor said that a fire unit is planned for the future, so it would be better to fund police officers in the meantime.

“One fire fighter does not a unit make,” said Peacor, “which is why you put money towards fire in the out year. I would suggest, you can hire a police officer, and he’s out on the street.”

Principi was still unhappy with the use of funding, saying, “My guess is we’re going to need more than four officers if we don’t fund the DORM program.”

Supervisor Wally Covington (R-Brentsville) inquired as to what the repercussions of defunding the DORM program would be on crime and re-incarceration. Director of Budget and Management Michelle Cassato said 71 percent of DORM participants successfully return to the community, and avoid re-incarceration over a period of time, but she would need more time to gather more information on the program.

To pass the budget, all six supervisors who voted for the budget in the straw poll last week (Candland, Nohe, Caddigan, Principi, May and Jenkins) would have to approve the budget. When Chairman Corey Stewart (R) asked how they would vote, those supervisors agreed to approve Candland’s plan for funding the police officers, if they could look for ways to fund DORM after the budget was approved. The supervisors agreed, and Candland offered to help Principi find new cuts or savings.

When it was time to vote to cut the DORM program from the budget, the supervisors decided instead to defer that vote, hoping they could find more cost savings over the next week.

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