Augusta County to trim budget

VERONA — Sagging tax revenues will force Augusta County to slash almost $816,000 in revenues and spending from its 2008-09 operating budget, officials said Monday.

County Finance Director Jennifer Whetzel told the board during an afternoon briefing of the need after her department reviewed projections for real estate and personal property tax levies, sales tax revenue and interest income shortfalls. Among the largest revenue adjustments are a $400,000 anticipated drop in interest income and a $250,000 drop in sales tax revenue.

Whetzel and county Administrator Pat Coffield said county department heads have reviewed their budgets and looked at savings to match the revenue shortfalls.

Coffield said officials asked department heads to make travel, supplies and other discretionary cuts. The county administrator said certain “sacred cows” were not touched, such as $75,000 in funding for an economic development position.

Whetzel said the revision in the 2008-09 budget will not be voted on until the spring, when the supervisors also approve the budget for the next fiscal year.

Meanwhile, there was some positive economic news the county. Riverheads Supervisor Nancy Sorrells said she had learned from the National Association of Counties that Augusta County would receive almost $135,000 as a payment in lieu of taxes from the U.S. Department of Interior.

U.S. Secretary of Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced the payments last week as payment in compensation for taxes not being levied on federal lands in various U.S. jurisdictions, including Augusta County.