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Vol. 26, No. 42 | Richmond Suburban Newspapers | February 17, 2010
STOPS AT EVERY HOME IN TOWN
County budget goal: preserve key services By Melody Kinser mkinser@mechlocal.com With a goal of preserving key services and realigning staff resources, County Administrator Cecil R. “Rhu” Harris Jr. has proposed a total budget for all funds of $388.8 million for the 2010-2011 year. Last Wednesday, he presented the proposal to the Hanover County Board of Supervisors. The $388.8 million reflects a $13 million decrease from $401.8 million. The total General Fund budget is $198.2 million, a $5.8 million decrease from $204 million. Harris said that decrease “reflects operating
“There is also a sense that we must not lose what has made Hanover a great place to live and work.” CECIL R. ‘RHU’ HARRIS JR. County administrator Hanover County
reductions and capital deferments across all departments. The budget reflects the county still allocating most of its resources on Education, 46.9 percent; Public Safety, 22.8 percent; and Human Services, 8 percent. These three services account for 77.7 percent of the total General Fund budget.”
There are no increases in property tax rates in the budget proposal. Harris said “the budget is balanced by offsetting all reductions in revenues with cuts in spending and isolated cost recovery fee increases for certain services.”
Submitted photo
By Melody Kinser mkinser@mechlocal.com Operations for 2010 in the Hanover County Sheriff ’s Office are reminiscent of 2006 – at least when the issue of staffing arises. On Tuesday, Feb. 9, a day before County Administrator Cecil R. “Rhu” Harris Jr. presented his 2010-2011 budget proposal to the Hanover County
The decision to remove the middle school resource officers even for a few weeks was not an easy one for Sheriff V. Stuart Cook, who has five grandchildren in middle schools in Hanover County Public Schools.
Board of Supervisors, Col. V. Stuart Cook, sheriff, talked about the hiring freeze his department has been experiencing. “We have eight vacancies. We’ve got seven people that are in school in training,
so effective strength on the road is 15 people short,” the sheriff said. Actual vacancies total eight, because it will be fall before those in training “are on the road.” see SHERIFF, pg. 4 `
see BUDGET, pg. 19 `
Squirrels honor BPES student Parker Smith, center, a fifth-grade student at Battlefield Park Elementary School, was recognized as one of the winners in the art contest during Thursday’s press conference for Richmond’s new baseball team, the Flying Squirrels. Principal Judy Bradley, right, and Kristi Harrison, left, helped Parker celebrate his honor. His work will be featured at The Diamond during the 2010 season. Also shown is Nutzy, the Squirrels’ mascot.
Sheriff: staffing back at ’06 level
YWCA OUTSTANDING WOMEN AWARDS
Two Ashland women among honorees By Melody Kinser mkinser@mechlocal.com Hanover County is well represented this year with two Ashland women being named recipients of the YWCA Outstanding Women Awards. On Thursday, Sue Forbes Watson and Diane H. Ager were among 10 women selected for the honor. The announcement was made at the YWCA’s office in downtown Richmond. Watson, the Ashland District representative on the Hanover County School Board, is being recognized for her role in education. She is the longest-serving School Board member in Virginia, as well as the first female appointed to the Hanover County School Board. Since 1976, she has served eight terms as chair-
woman and nine terms as vice chairwoman. Her community involvement includes organizing and chairing the Ashland Musical Variety Show, an oddyear event that started in the 1980s. Ager, an active volunteer with the Crossover Ministry, Richmond City jail and Pregnancy Resource Center of Metro Richmond, is being honored for her role in religion. She has served about 15,000 patients with volunteer service. see ASHLAND, pg. 8 `