Cumberland County’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-20 budget, tax rates and Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) were approved by the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors, but not without some debate from members of the board.

Chairman and District Four Supervisor David Meinhard announced near the end of the meeting that he would not be running for re-election in November.

The total budget comes to approximately $34,104,064, which includes increases of $37,565 to the Cumberland County Department of Social Services (DSS), a 2 percent additional increase to sheriff deputies and a 3-percent state-mandated pay increase for county employees. This increase was extended to all employees, not only the employees eligible for the state-mandated increase. Sheriff deputies would receive a total 5-percent salary increase, combining the 2 percent approved by the board, plus a 3-percent increase as county employees.

District Three Supervisor Kevin Ingle explained that the state-mandated salary increase would only apply to a certain number of employees in Cumberland County. However, he said the board chose to extend the salary increase to all employees.

“This person was going to get a 3-percent raise by the state, and the person beside them doing the same job wasn’t going to get one, so we (made) a level playing field, 3 percent, to all employees,” Ingle said.

“Fair treatment is fair treatment,” Ingle said.

Board Chairman David Meinhard requested lowering the tax rate of Cumberland County by 5 cents, from its proposed rate of 78 cents to 73 cents.

The motion failed to pass. Meinhard voted to approve the motion, and District Five Supervisor Parker Wheeler, District Three Supervisor Kevin Ingle and District One Supervisor William “Bill” Osl voted against the motion. District Two Supervisor Lloyd Banks was absent from the meeting.

Wheeler made a motion for the tax rate to remain as it was proposed. Ingle, Osl and Wheeler voted to approve the motion, and Meinhard voted in opposition.

The vote to keep the tax rates at 78 cents was approved.

Meinhard made a proposal to approve items that would be considered additions to the budget, such as the salary increase for sheriff deputies, an increase in allocations toward the Prince Edward Volunteer Rescue Squad, installing new flooring at Cumberland County Elementary School, paving the DSS parking lot, improving roadway access to the Cartersville transfer station and funding part-time assistance for Patricia Scales at the Commonwealth’s Attorney office.

Meinhard said the Prince Edward Volunteer Rescue Squad covers the majority of the 4th and 5th District of Cumberland, closest to the Farmville area.

Osl, Wheeler and Ingle voted to deny the motion to approve these items. Meinhard was the sole supervisor to vote in favor of it.

Osl asked if there were other items to be considered for the budget. Meinhard said no.

“It doesn’t matter what I suggested, it’s already been decided by the other side of the table,” Meinhard said, referencing Wheeler, Osl and Ingle’s placement at the table.

Wheeler, Osl and Ingle began speaking to one another prior to the vote. When asked by an audience member what they were discussing, as she could not hear them, Ingle and Osl clarified they were discussing whether to vote to approve the budget as is, or to make amendments related to allocating funds to the Prince Edward Volunteer Rescue Squad. Osl said he wasn’t certain the board was ready to make a decision about allocating to the rescue squad but would be willing to consider the possibility during the next month’s meeting.

Wheeler, Osl and Ingle voted in favor of approving the proposed budget with the Cumberland County Department of Social Services (DSS), a 2 percent additional increase to sheriff deputies and a 3-percent state-mandated pay increase for county employees.

Meinhard voted in opposition to the motion, though said to Sheriff Darrell Hodges after the vote that he was not opposed to raises given to deputies of the department.

Board members voted in favor of approving CIP as it was proposed, which included renovating the floors at Cumberland County Elementary School and purchasing new hardware equipment for the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.

County Administrator and Attorney Vivian Seay Giles said a request for proposal could be released for the elementary school project by the end of the week and hoped to have the project finished in the summer.

Meinhard, during the board member comment period, confirmed that he would not be running for re-election during the November general election.

He said he has been a member of the board for eight years.

“During the eight years I have been on the board, I have voted my conscience,” Meinhard said. “I have voted for what I thought was in the best interest of Cumberland County.”

Describing the pushback supervisors received since Green Ridge was first introduced last year, Meinhard challenged audience members to prove the rumor that he accepted bribes for the project, including contacting state police and the Virginia Attorney General.