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Presenters say Powhatan’s social-services base funding lags peers; county to forward slides to state
Summary
County presenters told the joint workshop that Powhatan receives just under $750,000 from the LDSS base budget formula (the '8-55') while its total local DSS operating budget exceeds $3 million, leaving about $2.3 million funded locally and placing Powhatan among the 11 lowest-funded local departments in Virginia.
At the May 14 joint workshop, county officials highlighted disparities in state base funding for local Departments of Social Services (LDSS) and asked for state review.
Presenters described the base budget formula (referred to in the meeting as the '8-55' or base budget) and said Powhatan receives just under $750,000 in base support while local DSS operating costs top $3 million — leaving roughly $2.3 million covered locally. Presenters said Powhatan ranks among the 11 lowest-funded local DSS offices in the state on a per-capita basis and showed comparisons to nearby and smaller counties that receive more base support. They argued that the formula’s heavy reliance on historical allocations dampens responsiveness to growing caseloads and changed service demands.
A state lawmaker (S9) said he was surprised by the magnitude of the difference and offered to forward the slides to state-level officials for review; a board member (S11) also requested the slides for federal review. When asked what happens to the $423,000 in state-directed teacher-retention-bonus funds that Powhatan could not match, the lawmaker (S9) said he could not give a categorical answer but assumed unclaimed funds would revert to the general fund.
Presenters committed to sharing slides and data with state contacts for further investigation; no immediate policy change or funding decision occurred at the workshop.
