Dan Genz, The Examiner
2008-04-03 07:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

WASHINGTON -

The prolonged debate Tuesday over whether to lay off three mediators working in the Prince William County Office of Dispute Resolution illustrates how difficult it will be for supervisors to trim spending from the proposed $924 million budget.

Supervisors trying to eliminate a $1.3 million deficit in the Clerk of Circuit Court department chose to keep funding the three employees for another month after about 15 people testified against cutting the positions.

The program sends troubled teenagers through mediation instead of the courts.

Supervisors who dove into their own discretionary funds to pay for the program through April said it would be difficult to cut programs despite the county's dramatic drops in home property values.

“I don't think there has ever been a question that it's going to be very difficult to determine what stays and what goes,” said Supervisor Martin Nohe, R-Coles.

Nohe and Supervisor Wally Covington, R-Brentsville, each used $10,000 of their discretionary funds to put off a decision and allow the issue to be reviewed in the context of the broader budget at a time when supervisors are considering a 27 percent increase in the tax rate.

Mediator Linda Hope-Greene questioned why the county would want to cut a program that keeps teens from ending up in jail and that had the support of the county’s juvenile court judges. Hope-Greene, who stood to lose her job if the program were cut, held a sign saying “Mediation saves $$$$” outside the county administration building Tuesday.

The Clerk of Court budget is $1.3 million over budget. Eliminating the program would save close to $400,000 next year, with another $900,000 saved from deferring spending on courthouse renovation.

Supervisors trying to cut the proposed tax rate by at least 3 percent must cut about $10 million in proposed county spending and reduce additional school programs.

“We're going to hear a lot of grief, it's going to be a very tough month,” board Chairman Corey Stewart said. “There are only two choices, you raise taxes or you cut spending, and we clearly need to make cuts to avoid these tax increases.”

dgenz@dcexaminer.com