Money for schools likely to fall short
By Jason Jacks
While Loudoun supervisors appear poised to raise the real estate tax rate, it looks increasingly unlikely it will be the 25-cent hike proposed by County Administrator Kirby Bowers in the county's next fiscal plan.
Over discussions this month about Loudoun's fiscal year 2009 budget, supervisors have dropped clear hints that they are not comfortable with Bowers' tax rate of $1.216 per every $100 of a home's assessed value. The current rate is 96 cents.
Such an increase, county budget officials said, would raise the average tax bill in Loudoun by $640.
Since Bowers made his $1.6 billion budget pitch in February, supervisors have said they've been inundated with e-mails from property owners upset over the prospect of paying higher taxes while food and gas prices continue to climb.
Supervisors are now attempting to balance the concerns of residents with the needs of the budget's largest beneficiary -- the school system.
Even at the proposed rate of $1.216, funding for schools would still fall $23 million short of what the School Board requested from supervisors.
On March 19, county and school officials met to discuss various tax rate scenarios.
One tax rate being floated by supervisors is $1.10. Such a number would mean the school system would have to trim its budget by unprecedented $81 million. At a rate of $1.15, the school system would fare better, but it would still need to cut $52 million from its spending plan.
Facing continued growth and higher fuel and health-care costs, school officials say any funding shortfall from the county would force tough cost-saving decisions on their part.
"We would have to seriously rethink a lot of things," warned J. Warren Geurin, the Sterling District representative on the School Board.
Though it's premature to determine exactly where savings would come from, schools Superintendent Edgar Hatrick did explain to supervisors that cutting programs and positions appear to be obvious places to start.
Hearing this, Supervisor Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge) suggested schools also look to its salaries to save money, citing that since "many teachers are married" they're "getting double salaries" in their households.
Depending on experience and education, teachers' salaries range from $44,357 to $96,887.
Burton's remark drew the ire and a quick response from Supervisor Kelly Burk (D-Leesburg), who is a special education teacher with the school system. She called Burton's comment "sexist."
"You should pay people on the merit of what they do," she commented. "Not on whether they are single or married."
The board will set the tax rate and adopt a budget by early April.
Contact the reporter at jjacks@timespapers.com