The final steps are being taken by the Buckingham County Board of Supervisors to vote on the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 budget.

The budget is proposed to increase by close to $4.5 million, but County Administrator Rebecca Carter, in a presentation given Monday, April 15, said that funds are not expected to increase significantly in local expenditures.

No new tax increases were proposed. Rates remain the same with 55 cents for real estate tax; 55 cents for public service corporation; $4.05 for State Corporation Commission (SCC) personal property tax; $4.05 personal property tax; $2.90 for machinery tools tax; $1 for merchants capital tax and 55 cents for air craft tax.

Proposed total Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-2020 budget comes to approximately $55 million. Carter said during the presentation Monday, April 15, that the budget is balanced, without expenses exceeding revenue.

Carter spoke about tax relief programs available in the county for the elderly, disabled and veterans. To learn more about the tax relief program or the budget, call the county office at (434) 969-4242.

Increases to the FY 2019-2020 budget, Carter said during the presentation, include state and federal school funds at approximately $1.1 million, increased state categorical aid at approximately $300,000, county computer system upgrade at $46,000, additional funds to law enforcement at close to $61,000 and funds for the sewer project at Sprouse’s Corner at approximately $1.2 million. Carter said in a previous interview that enterprise funding would be used to cover the sewer project cost, and will not come out of county funding.

Under expenditures, Carter said approximately $341,152 in reductions have been made to this proposed budget and approximately $692,211 new expenses have been added. Net new expenses are estimated to come to $351,059.

The majority of the expenditures, $200,000, was proposed to go the Buckingham County Reassessment. Approximately $60,000 would go to the additional funding for the sheriff’s office, approximately $40,000 to the county computer system upgrade and the remaining $44,109 other agencies and categories.

The total proposed school budget is $26,624,629. This request does not include any additional local funding, and would allow for pay raises and other operational needs of the school system.

Buckingham County Public Schools is estimated to receive approximately $19 million from state and federal allocations, which include state revenue of close to $15 million, federal revenue of close to $3 million, and $1.3 million into the school division’s cafeteria fund.

The total local money for school facilities and operations is $9.8 million, with close to $3 million allocated for schools’ debt service and approximately $7.3 million for operations, which includes local instruction at close to $4.9 million, local administration at close to $379,000, local transportation at approximately $627,000, local transportation buses at approximately $270,000 and local technology at approximately $315,000.

Allocations to area agencies include $40,000 to Crossroads Services Board, an increase of $3,000, Piedmont Senior Resources at a total of $13,000, an increase of $2,000. Ellis Acres Memorial Park received $5,000 and Southside Community College received $8,368, a $769 increase.

County Administration and departments are proposed to allocate close to $1.4 million to county departments. Carter said this is a $218,252 overall increase, with $200,000 being for reassessment and $3,119 allocated to state-mandated salary increases for staff. The total funding for the pay increases, which will go to state employees and employees of Buckingham not funded by the state is proposed to be $90,000.

The total law enforcement budget is proposed to be at $2,255,096. This is $1,386,083 from local funds and $869,113 in state funds.

This represents a state increase of $13,389 and local increase of $60,950, making a total increase of $74,339.

Allocations to Piedmont Regional Jail and the regional juvenile detention center are expected to be monitored closely throughout the year due to local funding being based from the number of Buckingham residents who are inmates in these facilities.

The total for the jail is estimated to be approximately $400,000, and the juvenile detention center proposed to be $40,000.

Emergency Services is proposed to receive $494,113. Of this funding $46,000 is state salary money, $267,863 is a state grant to upgrade the E-911 system and $180,250 is local, making the local funding an $3,944 increase in local money mostly due to payroll and benefit changes.

The Buckingham Volunteer Rescue Squad is proposed to receive  $201,200.

Volunteer Fire Departments in the county are proposed to $522,777, an increase of $1,943 in Forest Fire Programs. Approximately $57,800 is State Fire Programs funding and is distributed between each fire department.

Dillwyn Volunteer Fire Department is proposed to be allocated $118,200; Arvonia Volunteer Fire Department is proposed to be allocated $108,320;  Glenmore Volunteer Fire Department is proposed to be allocated $108,320 and Toga Volunteer Fire Department is proposed to be allocated $108,320.

Lower Francisco is allocated to receive $6,467 and Gladstone is allocated to receive $3,750.

Carter said in the presentation that there is also $10,000 allocated for Fire Training Facility Operations and $1,000 for reimbursement of county decals to volunteers.

The General District Court is proposed to receive $9,242 in all local level funding.

Special Magistrates are proposed to receive $2,500 in local level funding. The Clerk of Court’s total budget is proposed for $368,644, with $184,710 being local funding and $198,222 being state. This is a total reduction of $12,021 due to change in clerk of court salary and health insurance plan, according to the presentation.

Due to an early press deadline schedule, The Herald was unable to include the decision made by the board of supervisors whether to pass the FY 2019-2020 budget as presented during its meeting Monday, April 22. The final determination by the board will be available at FarmvilleHerald.com.