No one spoke June 12 during a public hearing on the Town of Farmville’s proposed 2019-2020 budget.

According to Town Manager Gerald Spates, the $28.8 million budget includes a real estate tax rate of 12 cents per $100 of assessed value, a personal property tax rate (business only) of $1.50 per $100 of assessed value and a 27 cent per pack cigarette tax rate.

At the May 1 work session meeting, council members looked at options to balance the proposed budget.

During the work session, Assistant Town Manager, C. Scott Davis presented a summary of the changes. One change included removing the vacant position of Communication Specialist and 60 percent of the secretary position from the Town Manager’s Department. According to Davis’s report, the secretary position will remain but will be split between the Town Manager and the Treasurer’s Office.

Funds were also decreased on materials for street maintenance and adjustments were made to the water and sewer funds. “Sludge removal at the wastewater treatment plant started in May, and a portion of the expense will come from this fiscal budget, allowing a decrease of $35,000 in the proposed budget,” minutes from the work session cited.

There were also slight adjustments made to the Farmville Regional Airport. The proposed budget has an excess of $918,985.68 in the General Fund; however, $442,996.10 is needed to balance the fund in street maintenance, and $224,609.16 will need to be transferred to balance the airport fund; which leaves contingencies of $251,380.42 in the general fund, $705.40 in the water fund and $59,480.34 in the sewer fund.

Also, the proposed budget includes three new police vehicles for the Town of Farmville Police department.

A Classification and Compensation Plan study has also been added to the town’s budget at a cost of $100,000 with $30,000 being appropriated to the Prince Edward Volunteer Rescue Squad.

According to Davis, funding for items will come from the proposed budget’s contingency of $251,380.42, leaving a remaining contingency of $121,380.42.

The council is set to vote on the 2019-2020-town budget on June 27.