York County supervisors narrow FY budget items, set May 6 adoption and reserve funds for schools

York County supervisors indicated general agreement on the main elements of the proposed fiscal year budget at a work session on April 17, and instructed staff to hold contingency funding for school operating needs pending the state budget outcome while scheduling a formal vote to adopt the budget on May 6.

The board and staff said they were aligned on the capital improvements plan and on county employee compensation of 4% plus $500, new waste (trash and recycling) rates, a personal property tax rate of $4 per $100 of assessed value and a real estate tax rate of $0.78 per $100 of assessed value. The board set May 6 at 6 p.m. as the meeting to adopt the budget; the supervisors also consented to cancel the April 22 meeting.

Why it matters: the work session narrowed outstanding issues ahead of the adoption vote and identified contingency options for an unresolved school funding question at the state level. If the commonwealth does not provide the additional education funding York County expects, supervisors directed staff to identify and reserve local funds to bridge a potential gap so the school division can maintain competitive teacher pay.

School funding and contingency. The proposed county budget includes a $1,000,000 increase in the county’s contribution to school operations over last year. Staff and board members said the General Assembly’s original proposal would close the schools’ gap but the governor’s version sent back to the legislature fell short by about $1.6 million. Board members instructed staff to hold contingency funds to cover a potential shortfall; at the meeting supervisors discussed a planning target in the “$600,000” range to ensure the school division could implement a competitive pay increase if state money does not arrive. The board did not adopt a final transfer and agreed to move any reserved amount from contingency only after the state budget outcome is clear and before transferring funds to the schools.

Public safety staffing and tradeoffs. Supervisors discussed a sheriff’s request to add five deputies at an estimated total cost of $950,000. Sheriff Montgomery told the board he would accept a $500,000 reduction in overtime in exchange for the five deputies; staff proposed using a mix of tourism funds (moving the Riverwalk stage payment off the general fund), $100,000 from social services fund balance (staff said social services has roughly $600,000–$700,000 on hand) and other sources to cover the remainder. Sheriff Montgomery said he could purchase a proposed $20,000 drone with drug asset forfeiture funds if the county could not fund it now: "I have a different way that I can fund this if it becomes necessary," Sheriff Montgomery said.

Compensation study and midyear adjustments. The board asked staff to proceed with a countywide compensation study and a midyear salary adjustment while the study is performed. Staff estimated competitive vendor costs at roughly $50,000–$75,000 and a timeline of three to six months, with a likely longer timeline if public safety classifications are included. Supervisors said the midyear adjustment would help retain county employees while the study establishes job-to-job comparability and longer-term implementation recommendations.

Taxes and other revenue options. Supervisors reviewed a menu of possible revenue options for future budgets — including meals, admissions and an eventual vape tax (available after state law changes), reinstating a boat tax, and a stormwater fee. Staff cautioned that several of those options could not be implemented in time for the current fiscal year and would need public hearings and state authorization where applicable. Staff noted that the typical stormwater fee in neighboring localities equates to roughly three cents on York County’s current real estate tax rate, and that removing earlier local taxes (like the boat tax) had reduced the county’s annual revenue base by approximately $350,000–$400,000 when the boat tax was previously in effect.

9-1-1 funding and grants. Staff reported that the county receives roughly $442,000 per year from the statewide 9-1-1 fee and that fiscal year 2024 grant awards to the county totaled about $6.9 million. Board members discussed cybersecurity and future technology funding for the communications center and noted that some grant funds recur and others are one-time.

Decisions and next steps. The board agreed to: - Schedule the budget adoption vote for May 6 at 6 p.m.; - Cancel the next scheduled work session on April 22; and - Direct staff to identify contingency funding options to hold in county contingency for a potential school operating shortfall pending the state budget resolution.

The board did not take any roll-call votes on April 17; the May 6 meeting will be the formal adoption opportunity.

Quotes from the meeting

"I have a different way that I can fund this if it becomes necessary," Sheriff Montgomery said when asked whether the department could defer purchasing a drone.

"We get it — $442,000 a year towards our budget," Mr. Hall said when describing the county's share of the statewide 9-1-1 fee.

What remains unresolved. Supervisors did not finalize a single source to cover a potential school funding gap; staff was directed to identify options (including adjusting revenue assumptions, moving CIP items to other funds or using fund balance) and return with details before the May adoption. Several supervisors also asked for additional data on the local effects of reinstating past taxes (for example, the boat tax) before advancing any new tax policy.

The board will reconvene on May 6 for the formal adoption vote. If the state later provides school funding that the county had reserved, supervisors said they would re-evaluate and reallocate held contingency funds.