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Contact Information: Percy Ashcraft, County Administrator            pashcraft@co.caroline.va.us           (804) 633-5380 News Still Grim Following General Assembly Update County and municipal leaders from around the state continued to hear the grim news on Thursday about the struggles with State finances. Officials from the Virginia Association of Counties (VACO) and the Virginia Municipal League (VML) gathered at the Richmond Marriott to hear staff reports about pending matters within the General Assembly. Caroline County was represented by Madison District Supervisor Wayne Acors, a member of the VACO Board of Directors, and County Staff. Discussions regarding finances and budget issues dominated the discussions. Several bills are in front of the General Assembly that would shove additional mandates onto municipalities with no increased revenue to support them. State officials have indicated they have to make up a $2 billion shortfall in state revenues and have stated openly that less money will be trickling down to localities after the General Assembly has completed its work. Before the legislators is a Caboose Budget presented by Governor Kaine before he left office, and new proposals being offered by new Governor McDonnell. Previous untouched areas of public education and public safety have joined other State proposals as ways to deal with the major revenue shortfall. Caroline County stands to lose over $500,000 in state revenue, in large part because of proposed reductions from the Compensation Board. This is on top of lagging sales tax revenue that is expected to be $200,000 less next year than this year. County Administrator Percy Ashcraft will present his 2010-11 Budget proposal to the Board of Supervisors at its makeup meeting on February 23. Ashcraft said that supervisors can expect proposed cuts in critical areas to cover the loss of revenue expected from the State. "We (local governments) are the last ones to feel the pain," acknowledged Ashcraft. "We don't have anywhere to deflect the loss of revenue from the state and federal governments. And with our local revenue less than in previous years, it is very hard to make up for those kinds of cuts."