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Powhatan, Virginia
The hometown paper of name of Alicia Dern
Vol. XXVIII No. 12
BOS delves into details By Laura McFarland News Editor
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OWHATAN – The Powhatan County Board of Supervisors continued its in-depth look at part of the county’s proposed fiscal year 2016 budget last week. The board met on Monday, March 16, in the second of four budget workshops being held at 5 p.m. on Mondays in March at the Village Building to delve into the finer points of an almost $54.4 million PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND budget being proposed. From left, Powhatan County Board of Supervisors members David Williams, Carson Tucker, Larry Nordvig and Barry Hodge follow along with
see BUDGET page an in-depth look at the proposed fiscal year 2016 budget.
Administrator outlines future projects By Laura McFarland News Editor
POWHATAN – The Powhatan County Board of Supervisors took a more detailed look at its proposed fiscal year 2016 five-year capital improvement program last week to get a better idea of the kind of needs the county is facing in the coming years. Pat Weiler, county administrator, presented the CIP to the board during a budget workshop held on Monday, March 16. The CIP she laid out detailed almost
High School, new fire vehicles and equipment, new school buses, a sally port for the sheriff’s office, road improvements, new or improved ball fields and upgrades to utilities. In her presentation, Weiler detailed both the projects and how the county might pay for them in the areas of public safety, public works, parks and recreation, utilities and schools. There also were requests that were not funded or WEILER have been deferred until later years. Among the discussions on how the $80.6 million in possible CIP and other county would pay for some of the projcapital projects over the next five years, see CIP page 2A including a renovated Powhatan Junior
March 25, 2015
School board approves budget With last-minute change By Laura McFarland News Editor
POWHATAN – The Powhatan County School Board made an 11th hour change before approving its proposed fiscal year 2016 budget to demonstrate it is committed to fiscal responsibility. JONES The board unanimously voted to approve a recommended operating budget totaling $44,203,072 during its meeting on Tuesday, March 17. The board also approved the recommended food service budget in the amount of $1,299,182. The vote went smoothly, but a discussion in the board’s workshop a few hours earlier about a proposed change showed there were some misgivings about a new change proposed at that time. Eric Jones, superintendent, and Larry Johns, assistant superintendent for finance and business operations, presented a new option to the board that would allow it to set up a funding stream for capital projects going forward, which it does not currently have. Jones said he made the recommendation after attending the Powhatan County Board of Supervisors’ budget workshop on Monday, March 16. Listening to Pat Weiler, county administrator, list the sheer volume of capital improvement projects and talk about how the county needed to have funding streams for capital projects made him think it would be a good idea JOHNS
see SCHOOL page 4A
Lee Ware recaps General Assembly By Laura McFarland
safety programs with the closing of the Powhatan Main Correctional Center in 2014, he said. POWHATAN – The accomplishments Better revenues than anticipated allowed and challenges faced by the General As- for additional funds toward the Virginia Resembly in its short session were the focus of tirement System, backing out $30 million in a speech given by Del. Lee Ware, R-65, to borrowing the governor proposed and $10 members of the Powhatan County Chamber million in fees and having a pay increase for of Commerce last state police, sheriff’s week. deputies and state emWare, of Powhatan, ployees, he said. spoke to the group at a Ware reiterated his lunch on Thursday, opposition to legislaMarch 19, discussing tion that passed allowtopics that included the ing Dominion Power early finish of the short to be exempt from session, a brighter outoversight by the State look than expected, enCorporation Commisergy regulation, bonds, sion (SCC) for the next employment and educafive years in exchange tion. for freezing the base Ware lauded the rate charged to DoGeneral Assembly for minion customers for finishing a day ahead of electricity service. schedule and coming to “I took the view agreements on issues. that state oversight WARE Unlike last year’s sescontinues to be necession, he said, the phrase sary. I did not support “winter of our discontent” only applied to that legislation but I certainly can underthe weather. stand it,” he said. Ware offered personal observations on Ware also took several questions from Gov. Terry McAuliffe, saying he seems to chamber members and talked about sequesbe coming more into his own in the position tration, mandated funding, the state of edunow that he has held it a little longer. The cation and the importance of jobs to the governor is “keenly interested in economic commonwealth. He made the point on the development” and is working hard to pro- employment issue that, with 69 percent of mote it, Ware said. the state’s revenue coming from personal The General Assembly faced a budget income tax and 19 percent from sales tax, it proposal with fairly flat revenues going into is very important to keep jobs in Virginia the session, and expected cuts of 5 percent and add to them. to 7 percent in some agencies. Powhatan Laura McFarland may be reached at County personally felt the hits to public Lmcfarland@powhatantoday.com. News Editor
PHOTOS BY LAURA MCFARLAND
Department of Social Services employees Ashley Rimmer, left, and Sadie Wilson, are the organizers of the Pinwheel Picnic.
Picnic puts positive spin on stamping out child abuse By Laura McFarland News Editor
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OWHATAN – The Powhatan Department of Social Services is heralding the arrival of Child Abuse Prevention month in a way that will celebrate families. The department will hold Powhatan’s Pinwheel Picnic as a free celebration that will have families focus on the fun they can have together while also offering them educational opportunities, according to Sadie Wilson, family services specialist. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the front lawn of the Village Building at 3910 Old Buckingham Road. It is open to the
Inside
Sports
A2 Powhatan State Park to offer special spring break options
B1 Powhatan softball outscores Hopewell 47-0 in first two games of 2015.
public. The celebration will come a few days before people may start to notice blue pinwheels planted at different locations in the county in recognition of Child Abuse Prevention month in April, she said. At least 300 will be planted this year. “We wanted to have an event where we could really let people know this is what the pinwheels are about,” Wilson said. The family-focused event will include a bouncy house, games, face painting, petting zoo and a DJ playing family-friendly music, Ashley Rimmer, family services specialist, said. There also will be food for sale. see PICNIC page 5A
Index Calendar A7 Classified B8-9 Crime Report A2 Letters A6 Obituaries A3 Opinion A6 TV Listings B4-5