Alternative Budget Cuts
Email or call the Board of Supervisors and PRAC. Time is running out to save these programs!
Email or call the Parks and Rec Advisory Council and the Board of Supervisors. Let them know Outdoors Programs cannot be eliminated.
Send a letter of support if you represent an organization, including the far-reaching economic impact these programs offer the community.
Chesterfield County leaders have elected to eliminate Outdoor Programs, a department that has one of the smallest overheads
in the county yet benefits the largest population of any of the departments within the county.
The programs routinely have a waiting list, are unique throughout the metro Richmond area, and Outdoor Programs is the only
department within the county that directly affects a large population of other localities. With the tourism and leisure
industry poised to become the largest industry in the nation in the near future, these programs are a direct and indirect source of revenue to Chesterfield County.
We urge the Board of Supervisors and Administrators to give strong and careful consideration to the following ideas:
Early retirement for employees who are near retirement. This philosophy could be utilized throughout any department, and it
should be an option instead of a mandate. Many positions could be filled by promoting employees within their respective
divisions. Longer tenured employees generally have higher salaries, and subordinates, though quite capable, make less money
because they haven't accrued as many years on the job. This is entirely fair, but when employees are a couple of years from
retirement and there is a capable replacement, early retirement becomes a viable option.
Institute a 5-6% cut for county employees making over $100,000 and a 3-4% cut for county employees making less then $100,000.
Allow Rockwood Nature Center to be a rental site, bringing in funds from groups interested in having meetings at an
environmentally educational and influential location.
A slight increase in fees for the programs would result in less dependency on county funds. Perhaps a sliding scale
could be considered so these programs would still be viable options for all county residents.
Freezes on all vehicle allowances for government employees. This is a crisis and needs to be treated as such. As our leaders,
the Board of Supervisors should forfeit their vehicle allowances, and ask that other vehicle allowance recipients follow
suit, until the economic climate improves enough to justify them. Numerous county employees drive their personal vehicles
while on the job and do not ask for compensation, all in an effort to save tax dollars. We ask that the Board of Supervisors
take the high road.
As the programs cover their direct costs, the salaries could be augmented with grant money for administrative costs.
Salaries could be partially underwritten from business matching funds. Outdoor supply stores, such as REI, Dicks, Bass Pro
Shop and others have a vested interest in developing outdoor clientele.
Outdoor Programs serve 30,000 people (65% youth) on a budget of $337,000. Every program offered by Outdoors has a fee,
which covers the direct cost; only the salaries are not covered. In contrast, youth leagues serve 30,000 yet cost the
county $2.5 million. Please consider having the youth leagues begin paying a small fee for the rights to use county
facilities.
Parks and Rec has been asked to eliminate $1 million from it's $3 million budget, a 33% cut. Outdoors Programs have been
asked to make a 100% budget cut. The overall budget cuts for the county are 5-6%. Sharing the burden of budget cuts is a
more logical approach to the lack of funds.
Areas outside of the county that receive county funding should be reviewed. In the past the county supported areas like
The Diamond, Maymont, Richmond Symphony, and Richmond International Airport. Outside areas should only be funded after the
county needs have been met.
Eliminating Outdoor Programs, one of the leanest sections in the county, would make a miniscule impact in the larger budget
picture whereas a barely perceptible cut in a large program would maintain Outdoor Programs at an acceptable level.
Most important, all jobs that were created during the financially flush years to aid county employees should be investigated
as possible areas to help with the budget shortfall. Jobs that aid county employees, not the public citizens of the county,
should be considered for elimination prior to any programs that go directly to the taxpayers. For example, Chesterfield
County has a training budget for employee enrichment of $5.2 million for 4500 employees. Recreation has been told to cut
$1 million from a $3 million budget for 310,000 residents.
Should the 100% elimination proceed, the cost to recreate this section is overwhelming, potentially impossible, due to the
loss of committed, educated, and celebrated staff.
The Board has diligently found insightful ways to adjust to the budget, such as changing to less expensive vendors,
restructuring how government facilities are handled, and the voluntary pay reduction the school superintendent has taken.
For the wellbeing of Chesterfield County, we request the administrators reconsider the drastic approach they've proposed and
reinstate Outdoor Programs.
Talking points can be found here including budget cut alternatives.
Flyers can be found here to get the word out.
