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Decision time. Thank you to everyone who has contributed your thoughts via email, the comments section, or in person. Please continue to give your thoughts during the day.
A year ago after the reconciliation, I put thoughts of the budget largely out of my mind until the Superintendent's recommendation came in November. This year will be very different. There are budget initiatives which need to be taken and proposals to be evaluated that cannot be done in the crunch of budget season, and must be done over the course of the next six months.
Like me, you can't forget about it until next year either. Whether you are an LCPS employee, a parent or a concerned citizen your voice is needed throughout the year as we prepare for the next budget. Advocate for your beliefs both to your School Board members and the Board of Supervisors throughout this year.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Budget Day today, Budget Year tomorrow
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13 Comments:
http://loudounextra.washingtonpost.com/news/2008/apr/07/economic-woes-render-growth-debate-moot/?local
The above is a article in todays washington post.
We have dropped from 3rd fastest growing to 35th.
I just can't see how this is not going to a tremendous impact on new students in the coming years. Fairfax only is only considering a tax increase from .89 by 3cents to .92 and we are at 1.14. That tells businesses which Loudoun's BOS wants to increase actually says LOudoun is closed for business and fairfaxe is open for business. Think about it fairfax much closer in and a much lower tax rate, why would business move out here or even stay here.
Next years budget might even be a worse crisis if businesses start to move out or don't move in here. The BOS strategy is to increase business to help increase loudoun well highest taxes around is certainly going to put a damper on this as well as being on the fringes of DC.
THe schools really need to see if enrollment is really increasing as fast as they think and that may not be known until school actually starts next session and the tax base could even contract also. Next years budget looks grim and Mr Stevens you are correct you all need to look at another major shortfall if you keep spending as you have in past years.
There is hardly anything entering the pipeline for future construction both residential and commercial. I know because as a designer I am the first one the builders and developers call and my phone is not ringing from Loudoun builders and developers , but it is ringing for projects closer in such as in fairax and Texas. but not in Loudoun. What you see being built toiday was designed and funded years ago. there is very little new for the coming years,
The prometheon boards slow me down, and are hard to work around. They were installed in the middle of the chalkboard rather than in a concurrent location. They are a nifty, limited, high maintenance tool. In my opinion they create dependency of thought rather than resiliency. They don't need them at the middle school level any more than we needed them at the high school level. They are clumsey, and are best used to add expence to the electricity bill.
Technology is great for what it is, but it is not the savior of education. Cut the funding for the boards and PDA resources.
Lee J., PLEASE check your facts before comparing Loudoun to Fairfax. There can be no comparison between the two in current tax rates. Fairfax has a MUCH larger commercial tax revenue than does Loudoun and therefore the tax burden here falls on the shoulders of people like you and I. It's not the fault of either current Board - it is what it is, and in order to maintain our current level of services, taxes would have had to be increased by over twice Fairfax's 3 cent increase. Loudoun had to do more than maintain, however - Loudoun has to build fire departments, schools, staff more deputies, etc. It's not as cut and dry as you seem to think.
It seems reasonable to delay the Promethean Boards for at least a year (and it should be studied over the course of the next year to determine if these are the best use of the technology budget). If LCPS has been one of the best school systems in the country (and yes, it has!!), then it can probably continue to do well without these boards for a little while longer. Teachers always have been and always will be the heart of education, not the newest gadget. And before all the proponents jump on this comment, I know that Promethean Boards are not a "gadget," but I truly believe that an engaged, enthusiastic teacher with a reasonable class size, with adequate supplies, and supportive parents and administration, will produce better students than another technological "gadget." Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and that's mine!
My facts are correct. Raise taxes thru the roof you will not lure businesses here. They will look to close in Fairfax and other communities.
We have raised taxes by 19% and we are going to see cut backs in all services or at the least not much growth in services. So raising taces that high did not help it will hurt the county in expanding the tax base through commercial. Like it or not this county is going to have to compete with Fairfax and other close in communities for the business taxes.
Raising taxes still has not solved the county services and schools and has told the business community Loudoun is closed for business. So we are now hurt by even more problems and have solved non satisfactorily. And by not growing the business base the financial situation in Loudoun will get far worse.
Lee J, I definitely understand your frustration with the increased tax rate (I was the one who responded earlier about the differences between Fairfax Co. and Loudoun Co. insofar as commercial tax income). We seem to be stuck in a vicious cycle, but not raising taxes or raising them 3 cents as Fairfax did is not the way to solve the problem. If we don't have services in Loudoun County to accommodate the mass residential influx, then people will stop coming here altogether - not just businesses. If people don't find Loudoun an attractive place to live because schools become second rate, and public safety becomes second rate, then we will never be able to attract the commercial revenue we desperately need. In other words, if you build it, they will come - if businesses see lots of people and a vibrant community (not just economically, but in the vibrancy of the people who live here - we are a fantastic and diverse group of citizens). Not funding those needs at the expense of the people that live here is not how to solve the problem. Finding creative ways to attract companies, entertainment venues, etc. is the way. That's just my 2 cents (not 3 cents). I think we're on the same page, just not in agreement in how to find a resolution.
The first problem is the assumption that spending levels must increase. This is connected to the assumption that all current "services" and school priorities are essential and must be accomplished through government action.
Loudoun County has increased the property tax rate by 28% over the last two years. Lee J. is correct, we are advertising that there is no reason to locate in Loudoun county. And this is not helping the real estate market find a bottom when we keep driving up the cost of ownership.
We are shooting ourselves in the foot because we can't get costs under control. The schools are not the only place this is a problem, but they are about 70% of the budget.
It is disheartening to read that school board members like Mr. Stevens are only now realizing that the budget requires attention all year and not just during "budget season." This explains part of why we are in this mess.
Anonymous at 9:30 pm - where is the mass residential influx? Is it happening? I think Lee J is right - Fairfax has a better commercial base for taxes, but isn't that what we should be striving for? Balance between commercial and residential contributions. I know there is a lot of empty office space in FFX County and businesses will choose over Loudoun in th near future because of our tax rate.
One question for John Stevens, with enrollment increases for next year coming into question, how can we find out what the actual vs real figures are for enrollment in the fall? When are those figures released? If the funds were appropriated for an increase of 500 (example) students and we enroll only 250, what happens to the additional funds? I'd like to keep track of how these funds are use and reported, it will be very important to future budget decisions.
Preliminary enrollment figures are published in September, and in October the official September 30th enrollment is published. I will make them available on this blog.
Each year, unexpended funds from the LCPS budget are returned to the County's general fund and are used by the Board of Supervisors to reduce taxes for the next year.
At the end of every September, school districts report their official numbers. Those numbers are available on the LCPS site. On the left hand menu, go to "Planning and Legislative Services," then, on that page, click on "Student Enrollment Information."
I would very much like to see the figures on the unexpended funds coming back to the BOS from LCPS over the last five years.
Where could I get those numbers? Who would be best to ask?
And John, thank you for your continued dialog on this blog. I could not agree more with your thinking that the budget process for '10 should start now. As we both know, the compressed budget season is heated and sends the community into all-to-familiar corners.
I still wonder about the benefits of producing a two-year budget that might provide some shift in thinking. There are certainly downsides, but a debate would be beneficial.
35,000 new homes ALREADY in the pipeline. 35,000 development deals approved by the previous BOS.
35,000 new homes = mass residential influx.
Edmund, thank you for your kind words. I'm sorry for being cranky in my response to you before.
I would very much like to see the figures on the unexpended funds coming back to the BOS from LCPS over the last five years.
Generally speaking, the LCPS Public Information Office (schools@loudoun.k12.va.us) can help with questions like these. Some LCPS budget documents are online, and the Loudoun County government has budgets online going back to 2005. The line item you're looking for is the "Fund Balance" or "Prior Year Fund Balance."
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