Faced with a $2 billion budget deficit, Virginia Gov. Mark Warner recently announced $858 million in budget cuts. The cuts touched almost every aspect of government service and sent aftershocks rippling to the local level.
“We had been warning our county officials to be prepared to tighten up,” explained James Campbell, executive director of the Virginia Association of Counties. “Our fiscal year began in July and we have been warning county officials to make reductions in this current year’s budget.”
Local jurisdictions are looking at losing as much as $125 million in state aide. Campbell said this could mean some small agencies may need to be eliminated. Campbell also noted that county officials are not willing to step up and fill in the gaps in state funding as they have in years past.
“What we’re hearing from our county officials is that their hands are tied,” Campbell said. “It’s a state problem. All of these cuts could be an effort, and I’m not saying they are, but they could be an effort to shift responsibility down to the local level. And our officials are saying they are not going to take the monkey on the back.”
Warner has already warned officials and residents that these cuts are just the tip of the iceberg and to expect more cuts in December.
“The good news right now, if there is any, is that the basic aid to education is not impacted,” Campbell said.
Other agencies not touched by current budget cuts were Medicaid and spending for Virginia State Police, sheriff’s departments and other public safety units involved in the current search for a sniper in the Washington, D.C. area.
“That’s this month though. We think that’s going to change,” Campbell said.
And Campbell said when that happens, it may encourage tax-shy Virginia residents to act.
“With the cuts that were made this time, they [the general citizenry] won’t feel it much,” Campbell said. “These budget cuts are going to be a minor blip until the general citizenry starts feeling it and in my mind, that’s when you start cutting basic education.”
Until then, Campbell said counties in Virginia will make do with what they can’t do without and eliminate things they can.
