Albemarle County officials are eyeing a budget recommendation for fiscal 2010 that’s $26 million lighter than the current budget and calls for a 5.7-cent increase in the real estate tax rate in the 2009 calendar year.

Albemarle County officials are eyeing a budget recommendation for fiscal 2010 that’s $26 million lighter than the current budget and calls for a 5.7-cent increase in the real estate tax rate in the 2009 calendar year.

Two years ago, City Manager Gary O’Connell unveiled a budget that showed the largest year-to-year increase in a decade. Now, the ailing economy has turned the tables — O’Connell’s proposal for fiscal 2010 represents a slight decrease from the amount approved for the current fiscal year.

The proposed $23 million loss includes a $10.6 million, or roughly 7 percent, state-funding cut made to UVa’s budget in October.

The $1.8 million shortfall that Charlottesville officials projected in August for this year’s budget could be tame compared with what could be in store down the road.

Albemarle officials on Wednesday confronted the county’s projected $4.1 million budget deficit, but could only guess how the shortfall in the state budget could worsen Albemarle’s financial crisis.

RICHMOND — Gov. Timothy M. Kaine announced state spending cuts of $49 million Friday, including savings from the layoffs of 18 full-time employees.

The Albemarle School Board on Thursday unanimously approved a $151.3 million operating budget, including an overall 4 percent pay raise for teachers. The budget marks a 2.2 percent increase over the current $147.9 million spending plan.

Having advertised the 71-cent rate, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors can now set any rate equal to or less than 71 cents, as per state law.

The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors will hold its last public hearing tonight on its proposed $331.4 million budget. The board, however, is not expected to make a final decision on the budget and the real-estate tax rate until April 9.
Supervisors are weighing a proposed $331.4 million spending plan for fiscal 2009 in a budget season that has seen school officials lobby for more money and some anti-tax residents argue against any increase. The current real-estate tax rate is 68 cents per $100 assessed value and that’s what County Executive Robert W. Tucker Jr. proposed.