by Lisa Hinton-Valdrighi
After heated debate and a few concessions last Thursday, the Irvington Town Council still failed to pass a budget for the 2019 fiscal year.
The council will reconvene for a special meeting to adopt the budget Thursday, June 28, at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall, 235 Steamboat Road, Irvington. The public hearing on the budget is closed so no public comments will be allowed.
Council members Wayne Nunnally and Bonnie Schascheck voted against the proposed $230,240 budget despite having a $700 filing fee for a no wake zone on Carter Creek removed. Although council voted 3-2 to pass the budget, a majority of the council, not just a majority of members present, is needed for passage. Council member Jerry Lattell was absent Thursday but will be back from vacation to attend the meeting on June 28.
Council member Fran Westbrook opened the hearing by explaining several line item changes made since the last meeting. According to Westbrook, $4,000 slated for town municipal maintenance was moved into public safety. Irvington has never allotted funding for public safety but in 2018-19 will allow $15,500 for a part-time deputy.
Another $1,500 was taken out of the special elections budget to make a donation to the Virginia River Realm tourism initiative.
In the past, council has donated $1,200 annually to the Steamboat Era Museum, but will make a one-time $6,200 donation next year to help fund the museum’s pilot house project.
Another $700 was initially set aside to pay an application fee requested by several waterfront residents in support of a “no-wake zone” on portions of Carter Creek.
Nunnally immediately spoke up in opposition, asking why council felt the need to “get into the no-wake zone business,” and questioning the town’s real estate tax, which is estimated to yield $87,000 in 2019. The town received $78,000 in real estate tax in the 2017-18 fiscal year…
