As the new fiscal year starts today, local governments and school systems across the region are dealing with budget and work force reductions brought on by the recession.
FREDERICKSBURG
Fredericksburg's 2010 budget eliminates 11 positions in City Hall, mostly through attrition. Three part-time positions were eliminated through a reduction in force, and one full-time position was converted to part time.
The city has two high-level posts open now--the city manager and economic development director.
Fredericksburg has not begun the process of filling these positions at this point, but the council did put some money in the budget to fill them later in the year.
Employees in City Hall all saw a 1 percent cut in their paychecks beginning in April. Employees making more than $70,000 a year saw a 1.5 percent cut.
City Council members decided to raise the meals tax from 5 percent to
The city school system had no layoffs and no employees received raises, including the superintendent. The council restored $300,000 of a planned $1 million reduction.
--Emily Battle and Hugh Muir
STAFFORD COUNTY
Stafford County government supported 864 full-time employees a year ago. Today, that number is down to 826. This year's employment figure includes 12 new fire and rescue positions that were added as part of the fiscal year 2010 budget.
Most of the vacancies came through attrition and retirement, although there were six layoffs last year, and the internal auditor will be eliminated this year. Later this summer, eight county employees will leave via an early retirement program.
Among the positions that remain unfilled is a deputy county administrator post that was created when current County Administrator Anthony Romanello was promoted in 2008.
The Stafford County school system has 3,428 positions in the budget for this fiscal year--23 more than last year. The division eliminated nine jobs--most of which were janitor positions--because of an increase in contracted services, said Budget Director Patty Sullivan.
However, the school system added 28 teaching positions and four paraprofessionals. Federal stimulus money is funding 25 of the teachers.
The school system did not lay off employees.
--Jonas Beals and Jeff Branscome
SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY
Spotsylvania County's 2010 budget will have 818 full-time employees compared with 844 in the current fiscal year.
A total of 23 vacancies are related to attrition. There were also 28 positions reduced from the work force since June 30, 2008. Employees did not get any form of raise for the 2010 budget.
A majority of car owners will see an increase in their personal-property tax bill.
The Spotsylvania County school system started the fiscal 2010 budget process by announcing that 159 positions would be cut. But today, as the new fiscal year begins, the school division will have 132 fewer positions, putting the total number of employees at 3,197.
Federal stimulus funds enabled the school division to fund 27 positions, including five for the John J. Wright alternative education program and 22 in special education.
The hope is that by the time stimulus funding expires, the economy will have improved sufficiently that the 27 federally funded positions can be covered by state and local revenue.
ORANGE COUNTY
Orange County government has 21 fewer full-time staff positions starting today.
The planning and zoning department will no longer be headed by a director of community development. A director of planning will be hired in the near future, according to County Administrator Bill Rolfe.
Deborah Kendall, whose position as director of strategic planning has been eliminated, will temporarily serve as planning director, a job she held for 10 years before being elevated to the strategic planning post.
Four positions in the building department have been eliminated, a downsizing that Rolfe attributes to the slowed economy.
Thirty-two part-time positions have been eliminated in the recreation department, leaving two full-time employees in the office. All other rec department employees will be employed at school day care programs.
--Robin Knepper
CULPEPER COUNTY
Culpeper County is losing 16 positions--all through attrition. The county begins the new fiscal year with 231 full- and part-time positions.
The school system is losing 16 employees. Two are teacher layoffs; the rest are positions not being filled.
The town of Culpeper's government work force will remain at present levels.
--Donnie Johnston
King George County
King George County government had no layoffs or staff reductions. Employees didn't get raises, but the county did cover increases in their health insurance premiums.
There are 15 staff vacancies through attrition and 12 of those will be filled. The three positions that won't are a meter reader and two treatment-plant operators who work for the county's water and sewer department.
The King George school system, which had 529 employees last year, will add
The new jobs include two special education teachers, two paraprofessionals and two instructional coaches, said Director of Personnel Bill Wishard.
The School Board is using $1.3 million in stimulus money to prevent layoffs.
--Cathy Dyson and Jeff Branscome
Caroline County
Caroline County government had six layoffs in the Department of Planning and Community Development and all county employees had to take six mandatory furlough days to offset a $315,000 shortfall.
The elimination of the six positions saved the county approximately $103,000 through June 30. The furloughs saved about $212,000.
Employees of the Caroline Sheriff's Office had to take at least four days of unpaid leave.
In the school system, there were no layoffs. But staff shrank because of attrition. Vacant positions were filled by reassigning staff.
--Portsia Smith
WESTMORELAND COUNTY
Westmoreland County had 85 full-time employees last July 1. As of yesterday, the county had the same number, according to Karen Foxwell of the county finance office.
--Frank Delano