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In a sign of the economic times, about $700,000 in requests from county organizations were left on the table in preparation of the Sussex County fiscal 2009 budget.
County Administrator David Baker said there was enough money to fund $200,000 of the $900,000 in requests in the $142 million budget.
Several organizations made last-minute appeals for funds during a public hearing Tuesday, June 17, but the council unanimously approved the budget as presented, without changes.
Making last-minute requests were representatives from First State Community Action Agency, CHEER, Sussex County Habitat for Humanity and a coalition representing the West Rehoboth area.
Baker said adopting the budget does not mean organizations will be left out in the cold.
“That money is special requests, above and beyond what we normally fund in the budget,” he said.
There is still nearly $10 million budgeted for grant-in-aid programs, which includes $156,000 for human service grants, $525,000 for local police departments, $750,000 for the open-space program and $305,000 for community grants issued by councilmen.
The $10 million total is down from $12 million in fiscal 2008 and down more than half of what it was just two years ago in fiscal 2007 at $26 million.
Cuts were made in several other grant programs including $650,000 in the open-space program and $25,000 in community grants. Grants to help sewer districts offset costs were cut by $1.1 million.
Even local fire departments, which traditionally receive annual increases in county allotments, are not getting more money than last year. More than $23 million, or 41 percent, of the county’s general fund is dedicated to public safety. More than $3.5 million of that is dedicated to local fire departments.
Organizations make appeals
Bernice Edwards, executive director of First State Community Action Agency, asked the council to help with the cost of renovating the organization’s main office in Georgetown at a cost of $500,000. She said the additional space would allow for more services, including the expansion of the after-school program to allow for 100 more children.
CHEER Director Ken Bock told the council that cuts in the grant-in-aid money would have a serious negative effect on the organization. The county has budgeted $10,000 for CHEER in the 2009 fiscal budget, compared to $135,000 in 2008 and nearly $85,000 in 2007.
The county is not budgeting money for transportation or capital costs for the organization, which were included in last year’s budget as one-time allotments, Baker said.
Bock said CHEER’s costs for food have increased $60,000 and for fuel more than $8,000 since last year.
He said the reduction could mean CHEER would reduce services it provides.
Robert Roberts, representing several West Rehoboth groups, asked for funds to help with housing rehabilitation, trash pick-up and street lighting. In all, the requests totaled more than $60,000.
The council was sympathetic, but it did not take action to include any of the requests in the budget.
Baker said the requests might be considered in other programs or through other grants, such as human service grants, offered by the county.
Revenue is declining
The county has made cuts in every department and will use $2.5 million from a reserve account to make up for losses in the county’s major sources of revenue – building-related fees and taxes, said Finance Director Susan Webb. And for the third year in a row, a surplus is not predicted.
Although the overall budget is only $113,000 less than fiscal 2008, the operating budget of $54 million reflects a decrease of $3.1 million in the general fund and a $2.4 million decrease in sewer and water funds.
Revenues have taken a major hit because of the downturn in the housing industry.
Real estate transfer taxes, the county’s largest revenue source other than water and sewer fees, are half of what they were just four years ago. The $17.9 million budgeted this fiscal year is a decrease of $18 million from $36.3 million in 2005.
Transfer-tax revenue is down about $3 million from fiscal 2008.
Other building-related revenues are down more than $7 million from 2006 and down nearly $3 million from fiscal 2008 to $8.5 million in the 2009 fiscal budget.
The county is facing $20 million less, in total revenues, than in 2006.
“We are having to make do with less,” Baker said.
Even with the decrease, the budget does not include a property tax increase - for the 19th straight year. The average county tax bill for single-family residences, not including school taxes, is $103; for manufactured houses the tax bill is $41.
The 600 county employees will not receive cost-of-living raises this year, but instead will receive a two percent performance increase based on a favorable review, with a $750 minimum raise.
Sewer fees in the county’s 25 districts were not increased, but a 3.4 percent increase in the one-time connection fee for new users was passed.
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