Board Approves $848.3 Million Budget

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors approved an $848.3 million budget yesterday that cuts nearly $194 million in spending and slashes several hundred dollars off the typical residential tax bill.

The approved tax rate of $1.212 for every $100 of assessed value is 24 cents higher than now. But because of the sharp decline in residential home values, supervisors said they believe the new rate translates into one of the largest tax breaks -- about $435 for the average home -- in Northern Virginia.

"This budget is significantly smaller," board Chairman Corey A. Stewart (R) said. "We've cut our costs, we've made our government more efficient, and by doing so, we are going to be able to reward our constituents with a sizable tax cut. That was my number one goal with this budget."

By comparison, Loudoun County's tax rate of $1.245 per $100 of assessed value saves the average homeowner $279, and Fairfax County's rate of $1.05 saves residents about $10.

The Prince William budget freezes salaries, postpones numerous capital improvement projects and cuts in half staffing increases for the police and fire departments.

The budget uses $4.6 million from the county's $26.2 million "rainy day" fund, gives $407.8 million to county schools, forces neighborhood libraries to close on Fridays and eliminates about 140 government positions -- most of which are vacant.

The board did take steps, however, to restore funding to the Virginia Cooperative Extension's 4-H and nutrition programs, the Flory Small Business Center and the At-Risk Youth Program's parenting classes, which were all initially targeted for reductions.

The board also restored almost $162,000 to the Healthy Families program and $40,000 to Spinaweb -- an Association for Retarded Citizens of Greater Prince William program that provides employment opportunities for the mentally disabled.

The budget also places nearly $3 million in reserve. Supervisors said they hope to have that money on hand in case federal stimulus funding becomes available and the county is asked to provide matching funds to qualify.

One stimulus grant the county has sought would enable it to move up funding for 25 additional sworn police officers from the fiscal 2012 to the fiscal 2010 budget.