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Vienna holds the line
Despite a year of budget shortfalls and financial uncertainty, Vienna's citizens won't be seeing many changes from the proposed fiscal 2009 budget.
Vienna's tax rate will be advertised at 20.91 cents per $100 of assessed real estate value, an increase of just under 1 cent from last year.
“It was our goal ... that we keep expenditure increases to a minimum even in the face of pressure from increasing commodity prices,” Town Administrator John Schoberlien wrote in the budget summary, and he seems to have succeeded – but it wasn't easy.
“After our work sessions this year, I felt mean ... we were really squeezing this year,” Mayor Jane Seeman said.
Vienna's total budget for fiscal year 2009 comes in at just over $29 million, about half a million up from last year. The average property tax bill will go up by about $50, a burden made slightly easier by the fact that town water and sewer rates will remain the same this year.
To keep the budget tight despite skyrocketing gas and asphalt prices, the town had to control spending across the board, eliminating planned staff increases and limiting the amount Vienna gives to various local causes.
The task was not made easier by the state government. Deep in its own budget morass, Virginia has cut many funds that once went to localities, such as the alcohol tax.
Still most town departments kept spending increases well under 5 percent, with most cost increases coming from additional maintenance costs on computer systems.
The town is also forgoing some projects planned when dollars were easier to come by. A proposed renovation of the Town Council chamber has been put on hold, along with a project to air Vienna Town Council meetings on local cable.
“We can't install a camera system if we don't have the money to maintain it,” explained Councilwoman Edyth Kelleher.
The tight budget will also come at the cost of some services to the public.
“We're definitely not going to be able to pave as many streets as we planned,” pointed out Councilman Michael Polychrones.
Despite the tight budget and tax rate increase, the Town Council has not seen much public disquiet or interest in the draft budget. Schoberlein reported that no copies of the budget had been requested by citizens or civic organizations, and at Monday's budget public hearing, no citizens spoke for or against against the budget.
However, at a hearing on boarding exotic animals within the Vienna town limits held moments before, two citizens spoke in favor of the legislation.
The council will vote on the budget and tax rate next month
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