A divided Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors passed a tax rate this afternoon with a 6-cent increase.
Two hours into today's work session, they had yet to pass the fiscal year 2009 budget.
With a 4-3 vote, supervisors approved a 62-cent property tax rate that right now includes $2 million more for the schools. The School Board is still waiting to see how much more, if any, of the $6.2 million left that it requested will be added to the budget. Supervisors continued this afternoon to search for more cuts, with schools being the main topic of discussion.
Supervisors Jerry Logan, Gary Jackson and T.C. Waddy voted against the 62-cent tax rate. Logan's motion to approve an equalized rate of 56 cents died on a 3-4 vote, with Jackson and Waddy supporting his motion.
"Creating a fair and balanced budget within this challenging economic environment is a daunting task," Jackson said, when explaining why he supported the lower tax rate. "Distinguishing between essential and lesser public needs becomes ever more important. Difficult and sometimes painful choices must be made."
With the approved tax rate, a person owning a home with an assessed value of $300,000 will pay an additional $180 on the property tax bill, or 49 cents a day.
The proposed budget with a 62-cent levy did not include county employee raises, any new personnel or any new funding for the school system. But supervisors Benjamin Pitts, Emmitt Mashall and Hap Connors made a series of cuts that provided the additional money for the school system. Connors also made cuts to fund four positions and six vehicles for the sheriff's office, three Social Services personnel, and a 2 percent cost of living raise for county employees.
"For a homeowner in a $250,000 home, it represents 41 cents a day, less than a bottle of water at the 7-Eleven or WaWa," Connors said before he supported the 62-cent levy.
Supervisor Gary Skinner was presenting a plan yesterday to provide several million more to the schools, but supervisors had not voted on his plan yet.