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County budget picture worsens
For the first time ever, thousands of Fairfax County employees will have to take at least one unpaid day off this January to help the county make up a multi-million dollar budget shortfall.Schools, public safety and other essential employees will be spared from the furlough, which is one of several measures county officials are taking to cut costs in light of an ever-bleaker revenue picture.
"Unlike California ... we are living within our means and cutting spending," Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerry Connolly (D-At large) said.
On Oct. 14, county officials announced that they are projecting a $58.2 million shortfall for the current budget year and are now estimating the shortfall for fiscal 2010 at more than $500 million, $70 million over prior estimates.
The overall downturn in the U.S. economy, and particularly the real estate market, is hitting the county's bottom line hard. County Executive Anthony Griffin said home values are expected to be down 12 percent next year, which reduces real estate tax revenues. Sales and business tax receipts have also plummeted and, with slow holiday sales expected, are not likely to improve soon. On top of that, state funding to localities is also being slashed as Virginia grapples with its $2.5 billion shortfall.
In addition to voting on the furlough at Monday's scheduled Board of Supervisors meeting, county supervisors will consider withdrawing $25 million from the county's "rainy day" fund, which now has over $100 million.
Griffin is also reducing personnel budgets for all county agencies by an additional 2 percent. Added to prior cutbacks, Griffin said this is in effect a 10 percent reduction in personnel budgets for the year. Layoffs are not anticipated at this point and Griffin said he expects agencies to be able to meet the reductions by freezing positions.
All non-essential travel and training will be canceled, all equipment purchases not already in the procurement process will be canceled and vehicle replacements scheduled for this year have been suspended.
Capital projects spending will be reviewed and "a substantial portion" of projects in the pipeline may be delayed or canceled, according to a county memo, such as a second county animal shelter.
Griffin and board members at Tuesday's announcement said they are not ready to speculate on what may be cut from next year's budget. They are undertaking an extensive review of all county expenditures, asking agencies to envision cutting 5 to 15 percent of their budgets and recommend line items for removal.
The county is also holding a series of community input meetings to assess what services residents value the most and will use that input in considering the next fiscal year's budget.
"This is more important than ever for us to prepare for next year," said Supervisor Sharon Bulova (D-Braddock), chair of the board's budget committee. "It's going to be a while before we recover from this very severe downturn."
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