Public Hearing on County FY-22 Budget doesn’t draw a crowd, but hears plea for more Little League playing fields

With no tax hikes involved and a public schools budget in place regardless of who controls certain parts of it related to surplus spending, the Thursday evening, April 15 Fiscal Year-2022 Budget Public Hearing of the Warren County Board of Supervisors was a brief affair. Only one person spoke, Girls Little League President Robert Look, and after discussion of Look’s request that the supervisors explore resurrecting development of youth ballfields as part of a Rockland Park development plan now on hold, the 7 p.m. meeting was adjourned after half an hour.

As Tony Carter explained in making the motion for adjournment, by law the board must wait seven days following the public hearing before voting on approval of the fiscal year budget. That vote is slated for a Special Meeting at 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 27, a week after the board’s next regular meeting, five days after last night’s public hearing on April 20, again at 7 p.m.

Girls Little League President Robert Look makes a case for adding planned ballfields at Rockland Park to head off a crisis in player and team numbers versus available fields, looming in the county. Royal Examiner Photos by Roger Bianchini

Prior to the vote to adjourn, Carter led discussion of what the supervisors had heard from Girl’s Little League President Look. What they heard was a plea to head off an approaching crisis that could force the league to turn away players due to a lack of available playing fields. Look noted that due to the lack of available fields to accommodate all Little League play, the girls league already faces tournament qualifying issues revolving around the minimum number of league games required to qualify for post-season, regional play.

Carter observed that final decisions on capital improvement projects (CIPs) were always dependent on the revenue being available to accomplish them versus other financial obligations of the county government. And with an already tight budget in place with the decision not to impose any revenue-generating tax hikes this year, whether the revenue might be available to accomplish long-planned Rockland Park upgrades on ballfield development is problematic.

One factor limiting General Fund usage was pointed out in Interim County Administrator Ed Daley’s budget summary power point presentation. That factor is that the County has dropped significantly below its self-mandated General Fund Balance number remaining at 15% of annual budget levels. In addition to providing revenue for administrative and unexpected expenses, that number is maintained to help the County achieve a top tier bond rating, and consequent lower interest rates when seeking CIP loans on expensive infrastructure improvements. The projected General Fund Balance after approval of the coming fiscal year budget is $12.87 million.

As noted in Daley’s budget summary power point presentation that took up about two-thirds of the half-hour meeting, the FY-22 Budget is $124.61 million, or $124,614,829 to be precise. That represents an increase of just over 5% ($6,003,691) above the current FY-21 county budget of $118,611,309. With a $124.61 million budget, a 15% General Fund Balance would equate to $17.79 million, $4.92 million more than the projected balance of $12.87 million.

But if no promises were forthcoming on Rockland Park upgrades and ballfield development in the current budget, at least the supervisors and staff are now aware of the pending youth sports crisis reflecting the number of teams and leagues utilizing a limited number of available playing fields. During subsequent discussion with Look, he noted the girls league had been included in Little League Opening Day ceremonies inside Bing Crosby Stadium this year. Standing on that college level, Valley League, Major League Baseball Developmental League field for the first time had been quite the experience for the girls, Look said. It would certainly seem a shame to close some of those now wide-open, ballplaying eyes in coming seasons for a lack of available Little League fields.

Deputy County Administrator/Planning Director Taryn Logan and Interim County Administrator Ed Daley chat with Girls League President Look following the meeting’s adjournment.

Other budget details

Daley’s breakdown of the budget proposal noted inclusion of just over $3.19 million in funding of the County’s now unilaterally overseen Economic Development Authority (EDA). That unilateral oversight of the half-century-plus old County-Town EDA is due to the Town of Front Royal’s withdrawal as it litigates against and is counter-litigated by the EDA over financial obligations related to the previous EDA administration’s financial scandal.

The County’s biggest single funding item is the county public school system’s budget. Of the total requested public school budget of $63.94 million, required County revenue will be $27.72 million. Schools, state and federal funding streams will account for the balance of $36.22 million. The current FY-21 public school budget of $62.24 million required $26.95 million in County funding. School funding included a 2% STEP salary increase and adjustments per years of experience.

The County’s total non-schools budget request is $60.67 million, compared to this year’s number of $56.36 million, a $4.31 million increase. Of that total increase, Daley pointed to specific increases of $2.55 million for Shenandoah Farms Sanitary District Road Projects; $646,000 for Public Assistance; $780,000 for Fire & Rescue Services; and $670,000 for the Sheriff’s Office and E-911 emergency phone line, though some state funding assistance may have been involved in some of those increases.

The Board of Supervisors listen as Interim Count Administrator Daley plows through a summary of the proposed $124.61 million FY-22 County Budget.

Also noted was funding to accomplish scheduled salary increases, including $300,000 to implement Phase 3 of the Compensation and Classification Study designed to help bring County salaries in line with surrounding jurisdiction to prevent undue staff turnover; a 2% Cost of Living (COLA) adjustment for County employees; and a 5% increase for State-supported positions like Constitutional Officers.

A 3.13% ($10,000) increase in the County’s contribution to the Humane Society of Warren County per the existing contract to manage the county’s lone animal shelter, the Julia Wagner Shelter.

The full Warren County FY-22 Budget proposal is posted on the County website in informational boxes on both the Board of Supervisors and Finance Department pages.