Board of Supervisors Budget Worksession   2/2/2026

I call this Monday, February 2 budget workshop of the Weiser County Board of Supervisors to order.

Okay, so the first document you have is our capital plan.

And this is with the Planning Commission right now.

So they'll make the recommendation on several of these.

projects that they're meeting on February 12th.

The only changes from the last presentation I gave at our last board meeting and this right here, we've removed the 3 million from the elementary school for the study and the architectural and moved it into 20, that'll be a 26 request because the grant funding that I had put, I thought it was 27 grant funding, it's actually going to be 26 grant funding.

So I'll just high level go through them really quick.

So we have IT projects, which are computer replacements, server replacements, phone system replacement, which we would like to get started in 26.

So you'll see part of a request tonight for the phone system, and the other half is the second piece of it in 27 that will go with that.

and then we're looking to replace the treasurer and commissioner software and bring them up to a more up-to-dated software hopefully in 27 as well.

I have part of the funding available for that.

This is just what we think it'll cost for the additional.

So those are the IT projects.

Page one.

Yep, that one.

And then elections, we save every year for electronic poll books, so that's what that request for $20,000 is there.

The sheriffs, it's pretty much just vehicle replacements and equipment to go in their cars, replacement radios, replacement radar units.

As their staff grows, so do the need for additional cars and equipment for those.

All these are the standard requests that we generally get every year.

Buyer and EMS, it's apparatus, it's got

For future years out, we've got two stations.

We do have money set aside to do some studies for a new station in the Ferncliff area or Zion's Crossroad area to see where the best place would be to put those.

So that's what that study money is for, to see where the best place that those would go.

And then there is a request for Fire Station 5, which is Locust Creek, for renovation so we can get

We want to be open about this.

We've been working with them on getting a memorandum of understanding that because we're putting a substantial amount of money into the into the building that we can't they can't just one day come in and tell us it's our building get out.

So that's that's new.

Can't one day tell us what?

It's it's their building get out.

So, yeah.

And they were very amenable to that.

It was kind of a hard conversation, but we had it.

It wasn't that hard.

They were happy to do that.

We just wanted to be very clear.

We're not putting a $50,000 roof on.

As we go on down, General Services, these are some of our normal funds for the landfill closure and opening, replacement vehicles, we put aside money to keep the upkeep of the compactors and solid waste equipment.

And then the biggest thing here is probably the animal shelter addition for 27.

And then our grounds maintenance shop for General Services are the big things in there.

And then the parking lot here to

Can we move on down to the schools?

It's their general ask.

Nothing unusual other than the new elementary school in 28, but mostly it's buses, vehicles, digital security cameras, things that are normal every year there.

Parks and Rec.

It was.

Now it's in one bundle as you move forward.

Excuse me.

Yes.

The better Queen Jim Florin.

The better Queen Jim Florin.

That's what I was looking at, that price.

I'm like, whoa, you ain't doing no Jim Woodflow for that.

No, I think it's the... And I got no problem with the current floor.

Yeah.

And I'm fine with that.

That gym is used all the time.

Oh, all the time.

And then as we move forward, we have fleet vehicles for community development.

Just to be clear there.

This year we will meet our goal on what we're trying to save for the wastewater treatment plant, and next year it's not even a full fund and we'll meet the goal for the bowlers mill.

The goals we originally set out for it.

We actually will start expenses for the ammonia, nitrogen, and 27.

And I owe General Services an apology.

I was ragging them guys about those GMCs around here.

They go everywhere in the snow, don't they?

They can't get no forage.

They couldn't get forage.

It's hard to get the fleet replaced in a timely manner now.

There's such a backlog for those.

And then we have a few airport projects listed.

I removed the flooring because we hope to do that this year to replace the flooring in the terminal.

Now, they're doing a master plan at the airport, so these projects may change.

They haven't updated that in a while, but this is what we knew at the time that these were submitted, so some of these may come in or out in the future years, but that's just where we're at now.

So, any questions on any particular projects within the Capitol?

The Planning Commission, like I said, will make their recommendations next Thursday.

I've got two.

One truly directed at Mr. Goodwin.

Okay.

They're working on a multitude of plans over there.

Updating the airport layout plan and the associated master plan will include several different things for your consideration over the next few years.

But yes, extending the runway is part of that consideration.

That's years off.

There's a lot of work that would have to be done to even get to that point.

And then the second thing, Ms. Colvin, on page one,

Can I again just paraphrase Mr. Williams, just say these words out loud.

The two new stations, Zion Crossroads and Ferncliff, which we've got $9 million in fiscal year 28.

No, no, they are not.

Well, they're there so we don't lose sight.

Anything passed this year is unknown.

We evaluate it every year.

It could move out.

Yeah, okay.

I hope the board, unless it's a meeting that I missed, I don't know, I hope we have a discussion when that time comes to use the same design that New Bridge has for our future fire stations.

It saves us money.

Anybody else?

I have a couple of questions.

All right, well, you can stop.

So a couple of things on here that I just I maybe just don't understand and I just could use some Clarification is this is now the time for that or is it?

Good

So the animal shelter, the general services, and the storage building is 2,867,464.

I guess my question is, you did an amazing job noting what was expected annual normal expenditures, and then you also noted a couple of the things that were a little outside of that, which is very well put.

Those three things there, I don't know whether we want to lower our budget, Tommy,

or whether we want to continue to raise our Louisa County budget.

But I think that if you look at these things, I don't understand there's a $95,000 bleacher request as well in the school board budget.

Where are those bleachers at?

I think they want to expand, I'm not trying to talk for Doug, but I did hear somewhere along the lines, the seating in the jungle for the visiting team.

So I believe that that may be the visiting team.

They may have put, they normally do put where they're at.

For the animal shelter, that was when we put, the expansion of that was when we pushed out last year because of the need for this year.

I guess my point is, at some level, you can't say yes to everything.

Well, I think that's a fair point.

But I would point out with the animal show, there's a lot of things that aren't on here that already said no to.

The Animal Shelter building addition

We've put that off, what, for two years, haven't we?

Oh, no.

Yeah, we could.

Oh, no.

You can't touch that.

You really need the parking lot as well.

We're all talking over each other.

But we're going to.

I mean, I think the reason that it's in this first draft is we've put it off for two years.

They're constantly critically full.

We're trying to maintain the no-kill shelter designation.

And I think that's probably reached critical mass over there.

It's either do it now, they're going to start euthanizing animals.

We put it off another year, cost will go up 10%.

And I believe it's a safety issue for the veterinarian working in, sorry, I believe it's a safety issue too.

We've already had that conversation, and I think we assured the public that we're going to move forward with this project, and I certainly won't do that.

But I got a quick question.

Oh, you want to raise taxes?

Following the General Assembly, going back and forth on legislation,

If it does, I know we're planning on paying cash for some items, but if it does and the voters choose to do a referendum for 1% sale tax to go to school construction, would that affect our methodology on school projects?

Yeah, I believe it's on construction projects.

Any idea?

It's like a million dollars for one cents on the real...

So a year.

But it's not on real estate taxes.

It's a 1% sales tax.

Oh, sales tax.

I don't know.

We don't.

I'd have to find that.

I'm just asking.

To answer Supervisor Barnes's question, I think the focus has been trying to cash

That I know General Services, when they put it through, I believe they put that through to be in the 27 budget.

Yes, we've met with Anderson on things that we could move out that didn't necessarily have to be done this year.

Okay, because siding and stuff on that building is getting in pretty bad shape.

So...

We didn't just move him.

I think we can triage based on the stuff that we met with him on site about over there and take care of some of the immediate things out of building enhancements and use this for some of the larger scale things in future year.

OK, that works.

Bleachers.

In hospice.

When bleachers reach the end of life is that because they have some

I don't know the answer.

Well, I know some of the needs were to add some more seating to the new turf complex, because that's going to now be used for middle school kids.

Oh, yeah, those wooden ones.

Yes, sir.

What used to happen, you used to see your shop class down there and put new 2x10s, thought, create it and redo them.

They're getting away from the woodwinds.

But those have a lifespan too.

I've seen one over there the brace is broke.

Well that's what I was asking are they because they're deteriorated to a point where they need replacing or is it because it's got some

Okay well then we can move on to outside agencies.

I emailed you that big book after the last meeting, and it's on the website.

But for today,

You've got two papers here.

One is our normal the way we always look at it, and then one sorted by the amount of the request.

So if the request if they only wanted an additional 300 verses, but the finance committee met and these were just some of their suggestions with the one that has some yellow on it, but definitely for discussion.

I've also given you some descriptions on what what some of the changes were for based on what their write ups for you.

It's two and five at a time.

Now the limit on the first five here, this Northern Virginia emergency response, that is a new T-GEMS is no longer.

Thank you in existence.

And so this is a another regional group that firing EMS feels like there'd be an advantage to join.

Chris gave me an estimate when the budget process first started of $13,000.

They sent more information today after I had all this prepared.

The actual cost is $20,000.

their request.

So it's, I don't know what it's based on per se, just reading on it, they figure up what it would cost for all the allocations in the region for all the localities in the region that they're working with.

They get grant funding and it helps.

for grant funding and things like that.

What exactly do they do for us in Northern Virginia?

I remember what Thomas Jefferson EMS Council was.

Is it similar?

If you remember, OEMS went through

Pretty rough patch there over the past 12 to 16 months where they had an audit and uncovered things that needed to be done differently.

And they essentially changed the entire structure of how those regional agencies of those regional bodies function.

So some of the biggest things that they do, if you're going to get state funding for apparatus, for example, like for a new ambulance, then this regional agency would rank

Thank you for joining us.

Good customer discount.

That's the ask.

It's up to y'all if we fund it.

Yeah.

Okay.

So are we going to do the five on the sheet with the yellow or the five?

Just keep going department.

Perfect.

Okay.

So Rabbahannock Juvenile Center, 368,772.

Like I told you previously, this is a little more than they asked for, but our numbers there have been running high.

So I did increase that just because I don't want our budget to be short next year if at the end of the year because we have to true up every year based on what our actual is.

Central Virginia Regional Jail, that ask is $2,626,163, the same as last year.

T. Jim's nothing because they're no longer there.

20.

So you might want to make a note, but I'll, I'll ask to get more information.

And then the Transportation Safety Commission of 1200.

Yep.

Anybody have any questions on this one?

Are they all good?

Okay.

Then Department of Health, their ask this year was for 871,871.

That is an increase of 112,000.

But theirs is based on a formula and their expenses and their federal matches and things like that.

And we generally do have to fund those.

Child Health Partnership 65,920.

That's the same amount as last year's request.

Foothills Child Advocacy Center.

This is a new request.

We didn't fund this one last year.

Well, it is.

It was $64,000.

Oh, you're right.

You're right.

I am looking at the wrong column.

$19.20.

It is $19.20 more.

Yep, it is.

I'm sorry.

I apologize.

In Charlottesville.

Somebody does good.

There's a lot of do-gooders out there.

Then the resource cancel is asking for $119,000 this year.

Yeah, to $100,000.

Should we stop there with those?

And then MACA, we gave them $2,000 last year.

They're requesting $30,000 this year.

No, and they won't be adding it back.

They have project discovery and then just home emergency repairs is all they have.

Yep.

Hold on.

That's really the... Health's okay.

Child Health Partnership's okay.

Zero for Foothills.

Y'all are good with that one?

Everybody fine with the $5,000 increase?

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Why did they want $20,000 more?

Do we know?

Yeah, I've got it here.

$19,000 for increased food distribution costs and $5,000 for an increase in their programming, such as they have the dental programming and they have another program.

They do a great job.

You're good with the Finance Committee of zero recommendation?

So next we have Region 10.

The ask is $292,931.

This is an increase.

What this is funded, $145,000 is funded with general fund and the rest is funded with opioid abatement money.

I get it every quarter because we get a little bit of a grant for that with opioid abatement.

All right.

Yeah.

Okay.

Yep.

I can send you all that information.

Thank you so much.

Okay.

Then Java, that their amount they're requesting is $292,566, same as last year.

The Piedmont Regional Dental Clinic, we did not fund those last year, they are asking for $2,500 this year.

Yeah, it's not local.

I mean, I won't say it's not local, but it is an orange.

Yes, it serves eight municipalities in the region for low-income children and adults.

But it is similar to what the Resource Council does as well.

All right, so that's one, two, three.

Shelter for Health and Emergency, their ask is the same as last year, 18-9.

Then Offender Aid, they are asking for $32,076.

What exactly is that for?

That's trying to put criminals back into the society you're just tested with.

I'm sorry.

I think they're in Orange too because I think David had to go to Orange.

That do that, where they take people out of jail and try and get them back into the workforce?

Yeah, it's Monologues, yes.

And then adult community education.

They are asking for an additional $2,000 this year.

They're asking for $10,000 instead of $8,000.

They said that they hated to do that, but their costs just keep going up and up and up.

What is not in the school budget?

What's that?

What is that not in the school budget?

Which one, the ACE?

Lola Richardson was doing it.

It's done a good job in the county for a long time.

Yeah.

Butcher.

It says this helps fund the salaries of the two part time employees that make it successful.

Yeah, I mean, I ain't going to fight over that.

More than five.

So from Region 10, down to ACE.

Next we have Jaunt.

The request is for $581,263.

That is about $18,000 from last year.

$11,000.

$11,000.

$10,378.

It's for increased insurance costs and capital costs, according to their write-up.

And then Virginia Career Works, they've gone to a, they've had a formula, but the amount, it's based on population and so much per capita.

So they have gone from 20 cents per capita to 40 cents per capita in their ask is the difference.

So with our population growing a little bit and them increasing their amount per person in the county, that's the reason for that increase.

Louisa Reentry Council, that is about a $2,500 increase and that's just for a minor increase in their salaries.

We have two part-time people that work on that program out of DHS for reentry.

Fluvanna Housing, their request is for $134,450 for their housing program.

And then there was an additional request for $50,000 for home repairs of those two.

The Finance Committee did not recommend doing the emergency home repair program.

That's a program that would be an added that we haven't been doing.

The only thing that's been reduced is they had put in their write-up that if we abated the taxes to take that amount off of their ask and that's what we did.

They had asked for $164,450, but they said that if they abated the taxes, we could remove $30,000 from their ask.

The $50,000 is still at zero.

Could we at least ask her to come and just, I know that you all don't feel that we should fund it, and I respect that and understand that, but could we at least have her come and just talk about this emergency home repairs thing just in

I'm worried about that.

I know, right?

Would be a good program.

But I'd just like to hear her thoughts.

And I'm fine if we all decide, no.

I'm fine with that.

OK. Can somebody remind me what the function of the Virginia Career Works Piedmont Workforce Network is?

I mean, percentage-wise, that's a significant increase.

I'm just trying to understand what they're doing.

I don't remember.

Yeah.

You know, I'll give you a perfect example of somebody they've worked with because they do have a... they've had an impact in accounting.

Scott Randlett.

Are they not the group that holds the funding that we were looking at for helping people get first time homes?

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

James Barlow,

Virginia CareerWorks, Reentry, and the Regular Housing Foundation asked.

Y'all are good with those four?

Yeah.

Okay, we're going to ask her to come and talk about the repairs.

Okay.

Next is Piedmont Housing Alliance.

They're asking for 8000, which is an additional 1000 over last year.

Mount Virginia Community College, theirs is just a couple hundred dollars.

It's a formula, it is.

It absolutely is, yep.

Uh-huh.

Like a long story short, if you go back to the original request, our big support of getting the Ag Fair money, I haven't changed, but with this tourism money,

Now, is that being utilized for the Ag Fair?

We give them money for their programming through the tourism.

Like tent rentals and stuff like that.

And their acts.

Oh, that makes sense.

This is the part that I've supported every year for ages.

I did not support

He'll sure get the opportunity.

It'd be horrible to have to vote no for a $180 million budget for

It is.

It's now Louisa County Fair.

So you're against the $7,500 now?

Five is the same amount as last year.

OK. All right, so in those five, everybody good?

Yes.

Yes.

Right.

Louisa County Historical Society, they are asking for 23,000, no, 23,260 is FY26.

They're asking for 24,027.

Now last year, part of their 23,260 was paid for with tourism dollars, 13,260 was.

This year they asked for it out of all general fund dollars, but if that's something you want to do out of all general fund dollars, that's fine.

Or we can have them make the other part of the request.

It was for their visitor center, I believe, to man the visitor center.

of that 23 from last year did get funded out of tourism money.

So it's more like $13,000.

Why don't they go through the process again?

That's the process to get through tourism money.

You're still putting it here.

And ask them to do the process again, just like last year?

And that's what we did last year.

It is, absolutely.

Still keep it in the budget.

All right.

So I think it was like $10,000 of general fund and then the rest out of tourism is what we did last year.

Okay.

The Arts Center, their request is for $80,000.

So why don't we just have that same conversation about the Arts Center that we just had about the Historical Society?

I mean, the Arts Center has programming that draws people into the county.

Last time Karen was here, she talked about that.

So, some of that tourism money could be redirected.

So, but how much?

No, no, leave the 60.

But how much of the 60 should I ask them to apply for?

Because the tourism program does have certain guidelines.

There was a whole reason

That was the only reason, that's the only tax increase I've ever voted for.

Do you want me to ask them to apply for the whole 60 through that?

I don't know that we would do that, but let them look at their programming.

I think they probably have programming that's not going to fall under the guidelines, but I would, my thought would be ask them to

Whatever falls under the guidelines of the TOT, they apply for the maximum amount that would be eligible.

And if they don't get it, they don't get it.

Mr. Chairman, I think if we're going to leave that amount in for the Historical Society, I think we need to leave that in there for the Arts Center as well.

In other words, the Historical Society,

The Historical Society have $10,000 general fund, and they can ask for that.

I'll still keep the $24,000 in here, but it'll be tourism.

This $24,000, that's based on getting money from the tourism, just like they did last year.

It's including.

It was a $740 increase.

No, it's not.

Well, okay.

And here's why it's not.

And I'm a supporter, right?

But and I just had this conversation with somebody today.

When I first got on the board,

I think they were in year 8 or 9 of a 10-year commitment from the county to fund them for $60,000 to get them up and running.

And at the time, I think they're, don't hold me to these, but it's close.

Their internal fundraising was 11 or 12 percent, and they were in debt to the town and all sorts of things.

There was a commitment made on them, and frankly, Stephanie Corn took over their fundraising.

Now they're fundraising, because I ask Karen every time she's here, somewhere in the 30%, where they're actually high 30s, and they're raising it.

But the reason I've never supported an increase is because the 10 years is six years in the past from the original commitment.

And I think we're just kind of extending the original commitment.

That's not true.

I don't think that's what we said.

Excuse me, but I don't think...

They can apply for it.

If they don't get approved, we're still committing to $24,000.

That's what I just heard us say.

Now, maybe I made that up.

It can apply for it.

But that is over and above the— No, it's not.

We're going to allow them $24,000.

If they apply for $10,000 including from the TOT, then the general fund would only be responsible for 14 and the 10 would come from the transaction tax.

We would maintain $10,000 in the general fund.

That's what I heard us say.

Maybe I'm wrong.

I did not understand it that way when we talked about it first.

Because if you take the funding to 13 or 14 now, then they only have 14 and suppose they don't get the TOT money.

Suppose the TOT group meets and says, no, we're not giving it to them.

Then they don't have their funding for the year.

The way we did it last year is we sent it to the committee and said y'all had already approved it to come from that fund.

and then they filled out the paperwork but it was approved because the board had pre-approved it per se.

That's how we did it last year.

So 60 is what we're keeping it at and fund as much as they can out of T.O.T.

And if they have, if there's T.O.T.

Well, here's my opinion.

So that was the same theory with why we're keeping the 60 in the Art Center, because it encourages them to not, once you get to 80, they're always 180.

And I'm not saying they're not worth 80.

And we're going to get down to the next one here in a minute, and I'm going to have real fun with that one.

Well, Mr. Chairman, I'm sorry.

Well, and to your point about the crutch, I think it's important.

I think what we're talking about here, to Mr. Woodward's point and Mr. Williams's point, is just a funding source, right?

I mean, and it may not be the same funding source next year, because that may not be there.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I thought you were just looking.

No, we don't fund, we don't budget for grants.

We infuse it in during the year.

I just wanted to make sure.

Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, may I make a, it may not be the last comment.

It may stimulate other comments, but I would like to make a comment about the importance of the Louisa Arts Center and the economic well-being of Louisa County.

One, I would challenge you to come up with a tourism-related draw other than the Louisa Art Center.

There are some, but in the downtown area, other than the new train that we have now, except the Louisa Art Center.

So we do have an interest, I believe, as a county in making sure that the arts center is funded, whether it's a 60 or whatever it is with the T.O.T.

We don't want to limit them to 60.

They may be able to get more T.O.T.

money because I think they did some T.O.T.

money for a big act that they were having.

They had a big concert.

They needed to pay a

I sit in on that committee at the chairman's suggestion, and I listen to their budgets.

And where they make their money are their bigger acts.

Those are usually sellouts.

Other than that, it's difficult for them to make any—there's very little revenue there other than grants and fundraising.

So I think it is important that that center remains a part of our Main Street economic engine.

probably a small part of what's going on in Louisa County because it would be interesting to see what it brings to us in fringe benefits as well.

And I think they are doing something with the new scenic railway as well.

And I would add, since you brought it up, and Mr. Woodward I think you know more about this than I do, but the addition of the Virginia Scenic Railways, if

Christmas was any indication of the success of that program.

I saw over the weekend that there are two Main Street stores that are closing.

Farmstand and Minnie Mart or something.

You know, anything that I think the county can do to help facilitate traffic to both of our towns, both Mineral and

and Louisa and that feeds off into the lake and it feeds off into the wineries and it feeds off into all of that.

Just FYI, the additional $20,000 that they are requesting, it was for repairs for the Arts Bus and a new generator for the Arts Bus, as well as ramps for the Arts Bus.

Yeah, definitely an option.

I have a request.

I would like to take a random sampling of 15 operating days over the next four months and get a head count of who comes in and out of that thing that's not an employee.

I don't know how we get that, but pick the days and the sample days.

I have to park where we were before we moved the pods right there at the library and walk up.

And that parking lot in the library, I park on the school side, but it was always filled.

And I tell you what, Supervisor Williams, it gets used so much that Supervisor Jones and I have had some brief conversations about a satellite trying to find a building that's already in existence at Zion's Crossroads.

I don't know if you've seen some of these satellites, but you've got a storefront.

Yeah, the west end.

Yeah, they do.

I get them, too.

And it also includes for the bookmobile to go to the locations like they're talking about.

The Peter West End, they didn't know we had a bookmobile.

They took it up there.

They should.

And I will say this while you're looking it up.

I mean, I think half a million dollars is a lot of money, but we take, or my wife takes a lot, I go sometimes, our granddaughter to the library on the weekends.

Our increase is $24,731 is for regional costs, which would be the salaries and the cost that's shared amongst all the different areas.

Local costs, which are local salaries, an increase of $14,344, and that's to add additional substitute hours for the library of about $3,200.

to keep with the schedule that they have.

And then it also includes 65 additional dollars for the bookmobile.

You know, we've talked about this idea from time to time.

I don't think we want to do that.

You know, you start clipping it off, it's $500,000, $600,000 a year.

I don't know.

I mean, if the board doesn't want to do that, that's fine.

I remember when we were discussing it, and it was $280,000 a year.

There is a breakdown of all the expenses in the book, like line by line, on how they spend their regional dollars and at each location.

I didn't suggest we turn it into a Starbucks.

I did.

Mr. Chairman, I have a question for you about the suggestion you just made, which seems to be

It's control of the cost.

I don't want to ban books and I don't want to do all that sort of thing.

You have to say that because if you say control the library, people can take that 15 different ways to Sunday.

I'm just looking if it's a possibility if it became

under the umbrella of the county if it would save us money.

If it wouldn't save us money, you know, sometimes regional alliances are good, sometimes they're bad.

In my opinion, more times than often they're bad.

But, you know, this is one that has worked well.

But continually, you see the cost of the regional library go up and up and up.

And, you know, I'll point out, we had an issue

So obviously we've got a strong relationship with the library representatives now, as you all know, and that was part of this discussion about allocating some, about reducing this cost ask a little bit now.

You know, when you look, I was just paging through their actual budget request while we were sitting here talking, and I think if we look at taking it from a regional effort down to a local effort, a lot of the costs that are shared regionally

on an allocation basis with Louisa based on usage, we're going to pick up 100% of.

So if you buy a subscription to the Richmond Times Dispatch instead of splitting it by the number of users we have versus the number everybody else has, you're going to pay 100% of that.

And every database, everything that we do is probably going to fall into that bucket.

It's certainly not to say that we can't take another look at it now.

But I think that is, we did run across some of that information last time, a few years back when we looked at it.

And again, maybe that's the answer.

With so much of your books and stuff like that, that you are online, are people really going into the libraries to pick up hard copies?

I read a hard copy.

My daughter got a degree in journalism and she hates digital copies.

You can check out electronic copies from the library as well.

That's what's happening.

They're checking them out from the library.

They're free.

You don't have to buy the book because you still buy the book even if you get it electronically.

Right.

And I suspect to Mr. Barlow's point, 20 years from now, the people that I just said I can't stand to read it digitally, I'd like to have a book.

I just, I mean, I'm not involved with the library that much, so to me, a half a million dollars is astronomical.

When we, and we've gotten, we've made these jumps in huge amounts over a short period of time.

Like you were saying, we went from 200 and some thousand just to, it hadn't been five years ago.

and they were up to a half a million.

And what really got me, when they told us they had 80, I think I've forgotten now, it's been a while, but 87,000 visits to the library.

And I'm like, how are you counting that?

You know, somebody's standing there wearing the hinges off the door.

So I think it had to have been

online visits, every sort of thing.

But it just seems like an awful lot of money to make compared to some of the other agencies.

I mean, when you have an arts center that really puts on stuff for the whole county to come see,

I just don't see the value of this library in comparison to something like the arts.

You got to get more grounded, Tommy.

Just some information from the request.

Now wait, nobody was suggesting we get rid of it.

Get rid of it and get by your telephone.

And I think it's, I mean, I love to read and I'm from the mountains.

I didn't see the ocean in person until I was 18 after I graduated from high school.

But I had visited it hundreds of times through books that I read.

So, again, I'm just looking, my whole comments were, is there a way to be more efficient?

Maybe not, it sounds like there's not.

And briefly, so we won't keep beating this death, but those of you that do background, and you can do the background, but I learned to read at Walter Cecil Rawl Public Library in Corley,

They may have it in here.

Yeah, I'm sure they will.

Again, final comment could stimulate others.

Don't want to beat a dead horse.

Again, it's the same concept of bringing people to the County of Louisa.

You know, they come to the library to learn to read.

Excellent testimonials, Supervisor Barnes.

Or they come for free internet.

Like, so many low-income people don't have even Firefly because they can't afford it.

There are things that the library do provide.

There's a public meeting room, which I've been to, as you've been to a number of times.

It's not just books anymore.

So we have to look at it as yet another reason for someone to come to Louisa County, maybe have lunch downtown, or

I don't know, do something else, maybe even, God forbid, want to come here and live, but it is a nice part of the community.

I know it's expensive, I agree, but you have to understand it does bring dollars to the county as well.

No doubt.

I'll ask for that information.

All right.

Next we have the Central Virginia Partnership for Economic Development, $30,657.

That's also based on a per capita amount.

That group has helped us with a lot of our economic development programs.

I haven't got to that one yet.

Did I miss it?

Oh, I did miss it.

I skipped it.

Okay, I'm sorry.

And the Central Virginia PDC, the Thomas Jefferson Planning District.

That's based on population.

As our population increases that goes up and we are now third on the list.

Oh Lord.

Oh, yeah.

The next three are kind of based on population, the Thomas Jefferson Planning District, the Economic Development Partnership and the Central Virginia Small Business Center.

They're all based on per capita with a certain amount.

And so those are where their numbers have increased.

Excuse me.

I know we just lost a small business that had farm food, whatever.

But I am excited to see the number of people trying to open up small business here in Louisa.

I mean, you'll see a little spark and then somebody make it, somebody won't make it.

But you can tell there's somebody being encouraged to try to open up small business.

The Historical Society, the Art Center, so I have 24,000 for the Historical Society, 60,000 for the Art Center, the library at 518,788,

T.J. P.D.C.

Next we have the Central Virginia Small Business Development Center that's also based on per capita with their amount on the ask is it looks like $1,200 extra it's for $26,909

Then we have the IDA.

These are just, now that the staff for the airport is under the county, these are just incentive payments that we know the amounts so far that we have to pay.

So that's what that amount is for.

And then the Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water District, $57,592.

It's just a little bit more than last year.

It's genuinely $10,000.

That's for Louise and Angela, right?

Yes, of the $18,000.

The additional $10,000 this year is for the BUI program that they want to put that.

Okay, that's the last of them.

Okay.

Yes, yes.

Okay.

So those are the only two I have to bring back more information.

And then I'll get you some other information on some of these things.

And I gave you a summary of the operational budget with the capital changes that we talked about and a few little teeny things as I know information I update them.

There is now we're 1,863,000 short because the grant funding that we thought for the school project we were going to get like have a little bit extra there but no they're going to need that for something else so we're still working on it we still have some ideas of how to reconcile it none of our numbers are final the revenues we're still looking at state revenues local revenues assessments we hope to have better numbers in by mid to end of February

and the same with expenses.

I'm going to use my senior privilege if you don't mind being on the board.

I've been through tons of budgeting.

But I can tell you right now, the process in which we engage in now with the Finance Committee, Wanda and other, I mean, it opens up a lot of things and it does.

And sometimes you have to choose your own home.

And I think Wanda and the Finance Committee does a really good job.

I've been on the board long enough now and we haven't gotten to nitty-gritty yet because we're waiting for numbers.

But I don't know a colleague one of mine that's on board around the Commonwealth that's talking about rebates.

Except for this board here.

Media.

But I have not heard anyone talk about that.

And you ought to be.

Well, now we can meet the task or not.

We should have the floor to keep going.

So next, we did say we were going to have some town hall meetings in March to go to different areas of the county.

I sent an email to the schools.

We're going to try to set one up at Jewett.

Travillions and at the middle schools, that would be three, you know, kind of different locations.

We're looking at Tuesdays or Wednesdays unless somebody has a different date they wanted.

That was the date that someone had suggested to me.

And so once we have those dates or if there's any dates y'all want me to stay away from, let me know.

Yes, we're doing it in March.

And the format that we were looking at, and still we can change it, but we were looking at maybe doing a quick 10 minute, 5-10 minute presentation, kind of like we do here for the board, for people that might not be able to come to the board meetings.

Just kind of go over where we're at, what everything's looking at.

In March, we

Probably won't have final numbers, but we'll have a little bit better closer to there where we're at and go over that and then allow comments from the public.

We'll set it at like an hour, however many they can get in with three minute time limits.

You know, something I'd like to see, and I'll let the board decide, is

four agencies, departments, that amount to the bulk of our money.

Schools would be right there.

Public safety, sheriff, fire and EMS.

Have them there.

Give them, I mean you got to be careful we don't take the whole thing, right?

And I'd like to have them here when we're doing this to let Mr. Straley justify his budget request, let the sheriff justify his budget request.

There's about four agencies that amount to 80% of the money that we spend.

I think it would be a good idea for them to, you know, we've started to look through it.

We've seen it.

Chris McCotter,

We haven't worked through all those minute details.

It just depends on how you want to do the, you know, we wanted to make sure we left enough time for citizen input and then having enough time to just go out and talk to people one-on-one because you're trying to figure out what

You know, what does somebody want to receive out of this?

Like you're going to have some people that aren't going to have a high degree of familiarity and they're going to need that overview.

And then you're going to have some people that they just want to be heard.

That's right.

And then you're going to have some people that probably have really detailed questions that if you get into that, then, you know, it's probably going to take away from everybody else's what they want to know.

So that was the intent of splitting it up.

You know, if you end up having, you know, a 10 minute overview plus three or four departments presenting down at some level of detail, I mean, you're probably going to get up to 45 minutes of presentations pretty quickly.

So our thought, and again, like Wanda said, we're kind of still working through the final details, but our thought was to have them there to talk specifics, but not necessarily to present specifics.

But it's definitely still in process.

We're building that plan right now.

We could do one of the AI things.

Ask Wanda.

I mean, what does your board think?

I mean, because I think this is really important that we're trying to take this show on the road, so to speak.

But, you know, again,

I'm not sure I want to say that publicly.

So I won't if I thought it that way.

But you want people to have an opportunity to engage.

But you also want, in my opinion, that where the graphic that you include in your budget presentation every year of a dollar, here's where your dollar goes.

When four departments

Take 80% of your dollar.

I think those folks, and again, we've started looking at them.

This is not any knock on anybody.

But stand up in front of the people and tell them what you're doing with the dollar.

Because it flows through here, but it only flows through here because they're sending that information to us.

Well, thank you.

Ask Wanda.

187,586 was last year's budget, right?

This is what we're thinking this year.

Yes.

$229.

Okay.

Okay.

All right.

So, what we actually have at $229 and then what we actually spend after

You know, we have, don't we have like a lot of budget amendments?

I feel like every month for a while that we had some budget amendments with things that we just didn't foresee.

Grants will always be a budget amendment.

That's what a lot of what you're going to see.

We don't budget for grants.

All right.

We don't budget for grants.

I just want to make sure that

Addressing your question, and when we go to these public hearings, and if we have these public hearings, where we held them and how we'll interact with the public that, you know, let's say someone asks, well, you've got a $229,568,000,000 budget.

How much more are you going to have to spend actually?

I mean, I know we can't predict that, but it seems like that question may come up.

Everything we know is in here, other than grants, because until we get the award letter, we try not to build grants in, because it's an unknown.

I mean, there's some we're pretty sure we're going to get, but you just never know.

Other than that I mean what you would be talking about Chris would be a supplement that wouldn't be a grant so I mean if you you approve a budget at the beginning of the year let's say it's a hundred dollar budget right I mean like Wanda said like that's our best estimate of how much it's going to cost absent new grant money that's going to come in and has to be added on both sides expense and revenue it should be a hundred bucks

Like a new fire truck or a roof that needed repairing or something along those lines.

Or if you want to make it higher and you don't have a position for it.

We're asking to put the phone system in because our phone system is dated.

So we're asking to go and get that done because we can save money if we do it before June 30.

Our goal was to do it next year, but if we can save some money, we'd like to go ahead and get that done.

And the state code defines the budget process as being for informative and fiscal planning purposes only.

And I think you can, with a very straight face, tell anyone who asks.

As of right now, I mean four months before the fiscal year even starts, this is our best estimate of what

The 12 months that comprise fiscal year 27 will cost the taxpayers.

That may change, and if it does, we'll change it publicly so that you can be a part of it.

People will ask me, so I just figured I'd ask.

Another thing that Wanda is very good at, I mean, if we get into a year and we find a department needs to have a budget increase, we will look around at other departments for savings and transfer within that proverbial $100 so that we don't increase the overall $100.

People need to understand that as we go through this budget process,

When it starts with you and Mr. Goodwin and then the Finance Committee and then here, there are a lot of requests that never make a piece of paper.

There are a lot of requests that are $100 and when they show up here they're $50.

We don't budget, and somebody said it last year and it was wrong.

We don't budget to a department's request.

Departments make requests based on what they're forecasting.

And then as it works through the process, the numbers are cut a lot, a lot.

And I don't ever lose sight of it.

I mean, not to the level of Mr. Williams, but I pay a little bit in taxes here.

So part of this is my money.

And you spend it like it's your money.

You spend it like it's the taxpayer's money.

It is the taxpayer's money.

Yeah, Tammy's here and Mitchell's here and Griff came down because it's about supper time.

But people, I would encourage people to get involved in this process the entire time.

How many people come?

because they'll come the day we set the tax rates and they'll come the day we pass the budget, but they don't typically get involved in the conversation and they should get involved in the conversation.

I want them to get involved in the conversation.

I think that's why this board and the administration is taking the budget

on the road so that it, you know, you don't have to drive to the center of the county at six o'clock on a Monday night.

I will not be at your hall.