Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 17, 1990 TAG: 9004170378
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MADELYN ROSENBERG NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
The amount is expected to be about $50,000 less than the $16.1 million budget proposed by the county staff last month. Board members should have an official total by Wednesday.
The supervisors have shaved some departmental requests, along with some of the staff's recommendations, during budget work sessions over the past few weeks, but no one item shows a significant cut.
One cut that could make the most difference, though, is in a salary increase for about 30 employees.
After an hour-long executive session, the board agreed to give all employees an increase of 5 percent, instead of giving a 4 percent increase that would accompany merit increases for most employees. The change could save the county about $10,000, said County Administrator Joe Morgan.
"This is in line with what the state and School Board have done," Morgan said.
Two areas related to literacy, however, are seeing an increase over the funding originally proposed by the staff.
Literacy Volunteers of America will be given its request of $1,500 - $750 more than the staff recommended - if the item is not changed when the board votes on the budget May 8.
"They're still not asking for much," said Supervisor Bruce Fariss. "If they get one or two people reading, it pays for itself."
About 53 percent of the county's residents over the age of 25 do not have a high school diploma or a General Educational Development diploma, according to the 1980 census.
The board also agreed to give the library $286,651, up $2,000 from the original recommendation. Most of the money will be used for books, Morgan said.
The county Health Department will receive $284,830 - about $2,000 less than department officials said they needed for a base budget.
Margaret Robinson, head of the New River Valley Health District, had requested over $310,000 from the county to help pay for nine new positions that she said would help emphasize programs already in use.
No new programs would be added, she said.
The board agreed to allocate $16,000 to fund rescue vehicles, provided that the same amount is taken from the budgets for the New River Valley Rescue Squad and the Pulaski County Life Saving Crew next year.
The two agencies had asked for a total of $81,000 next year to fund an additional two vehicles.
by CNB