By Heather Michon
Correspondent
Representatives from Fluvanna County Public Schools and other departments appeared before the Board of Supervisors on Wednesday night (Dec. 4) with budget carryover requests totaling just over $600,000.
If a department fails to spend all the money allocated in a fiscal year, those unexpended funds will be returned to the county’s general fund.
However, if the money was set aside for a project or service that could not be completed by the end of the fiscal year, departments can request to carry over those funds into the next fiscal year.
Under the county’s policies, carryover funds are not meant for new projects. Still, the supervisors have broad latitude in approving carryover requests, regardless of whether they meet the criteria.
School security
FCPS made seven carryover requests totaling $425,591.
Over half of the requests involved security upgrades, including $143,285 for new security locks, $66,400 for wearable crisis alert buttons, and $40,000 for weapon detectors.
None of the requests fit the carryover criteria, but supervisors agreed that they were important projects that should not necessarily wait for the upcoming budget season.
“If something happened tomorrow, we probably would look at ourselves in the mirror and say there is something we could have been doing more,” said Mike Goad (Fork Union). “Once we do all of this, if something were to happen, we could at least say, well, these are the steps we took.”
The supervisors were also open to approving a $30,000 request for a population study and, after some debate, a $78,906 request for the ongoing renovations of bathrooms at Central Elementary.
In all, supervisors approved 15 of 17 carryover requests for a total of $495,226.
Other matters:
Supervisors also approved:
Reduction of rental fees at the Fluvanna Community Center’s commercial kitchen to $25/hour for residents and $30.25/hour for non-residents. The previous rates of $35/hour for residents and $40.25/hour for non-residents were found to be the second-highest in the region.
Finalization of nominees for the Board of Equalization, the body that reviews property tax assessment appeals. Unlike most county boards and commissions, where supervisors simply appoint members, BOE nominees must be approved by the circuit court.
Advertisement of a public hearing on the renewal of the lease agreement with Monticello Area Community Action Agency (MACAA) at the Carysbrook complex. The hearing will be held on Dec. 18 at 7 p.m.
A $61,000 contract with TRC Engineers for professional services related to constructing a fire training ‘burn building.’
