House committee to hear state budget forecast

State and local officials are bracing for another round of bad news from Virginia budget analysts today, as the House Appropriations Committee opens a two-day annual retreat at the Capitol.

Richmond-area legislators warned Chesterfield County officials last night that they can expect another drop in state revenue forecasts that likely will lead to further cuts in aid to local governments for education and other services.

"It's continuing to go in the wrong direction," Del. R. Lee Ware Jr., R-Powhatan, told members of Chesterfield's Board of Supervisors and School Board.

Del. Rosalyn R. Dance, DPetersburg, said she got the same message recently from Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, who told her the state's economic forecast is worse than expected.

"It is not trending the way we'd like it to trend," said Dance, who is a member of the Appropriations Committee.

The Appropriations Committee will hear the latest budget forecast this morning. The Senate Finance Committee is holding its annual retreat in Portsmouth on Thursday and Friday.

It wasn't welcome news to Chesterfield officials, who have been warning residents to expect a shortfall of up to $60 million in the next county and school budgets. And that is before additional reductions in state aid for education because of recently proposed changes in the state funding formula for local school divisions.

"We're in a very difficult time," said Board of Supervisors Chairman A.S. "Art" Warren. "All of us recognize that."

The state revenue situation is going to get worse, predicted Del. Samuel A. Nixon Jr., R-Chesterfield, who said that one-time fixes and the disappearance of federal stimulus money after next year will leave more ground for state and localities to make up.

Protecting local school systems from state budget cuts will be harder to do, he said after the meeting. "You want to [protect them], but you can't."

Chesterfield school officials say they want full funding of the state Standards of Quality for education, including the support services that the General Assembly agreed this year to cap. The cap would cost localities more than $750 million in state aid.

"We're into the classroom," said Dale District School Board member David Wyman. "You can talk about support costs all you want."

Contact Michael Martz at (804) 649-6964 or .