Supervisors debate NK budget

A public hearing hosted by the Board of Supervisors on New Kent’s proposed $50.2 million budget for the next fiscal year attracted only a handful of county residents. Instead, last night’s session generated sharp exchanges between District 4 Supervisor Stran Trout and two of his colleagues over budget alterations Trout is pushing for approval.

Trout is urging the board to refrain from closing the county’s trash stations one day per week as is currently proposed in next year’s budget. That suggestion appears to have strong board support.

But Trout’s recommendations for chipping in money to help pave the way for a brush recycling center in the county’s western end and adding close to $500,000 to accelerate work to convert the old middle school into a home for the county’s School Board and Heritage Public Library met with staunch opposition.

For now, the county operates a single brush recycling center on Stage Road, just off Route 33 near the Interstate 64 interchange. Trout said residents in the county’s western end have as much as a 40-mile round trip drive to reach the center. Depositing brush at the county’s Olivet Church Road (Route 618) station would better serve those residents, he said.

District 5 Supervisor Ray Davis countered that the mileage difference from the western end to the Stage Road site and Olivet Church Road station is not that great.

“The payback for this is not worth it,” Davis told Trout as the two engaged in debate.

“All this is is putting money in the budget for this to be researched,” Trout shot back.

Other board members said they have received little or no public outcry demanding a western brush recycling center. Trout, however, countered that he has fielded numerous calls.

Trout complained that no money is found in the proposed budget for renovating and converting the old middle school, now dubbed the “historic school.” Initially, he suggested transferring $1.5 million from a debt service fund to the county’s capital improvement plan. Adding that much to the budget, however, would require another public hearing since the amount is more than one percent of the budget total. Trout backed off after garnering no support.

His $500,000 suggestion also failed to draw favor from other board members. Board chairman Marty Sparks said that while he agreed with Trout in principle, the board should wait on results of a staff assessment of the building. A report on what work needs to be done and overall cost is expected to be in supervisors’ hands by late June or early July.

“This is not the way this government should operate,” Trout pressed on. “It’s a very big issue. I think we’ve messed up on these three things.”

Supervisors took no action. Sparks told Trout to motion for a vote on the three matters when supervisors take final action on the proposed budget at their June 14 meeting.

Only nine county residents sat in on last night’s public hearing. Three spoke, including retired county employee Larry Gallaher who criticized the number of workers now on the county’s payroll. He urged supervisors to adopt a motto of learning “to do more with less.”

Bill O’Keefe praised budget work by county finance staff, the addition of $1.1 million in extra dollars for county schools, and paying down debt to reduce interest. He urged supervisors to hold capital spending at current levels.

“The economic recovery certainly is not robust, and now is the wrong time to take on new capital projects,” he said.

The proposed budget includes a real estate tax rate of 70 cents per $100 of assessed value. All other tax rates, including personal property ($3.75) are unchanged.