After confirming that an accounting mistake left an extra $6.2 million in county coffers, the Board of Supervisors in Stafford decided to spend at least $1.4 to give bonuses to some school staff and sheriff deputies, according to Fredericksburg.com.

Homeowners should be aware of this issue because many localities will result to raising real estate taxes due to decreased property assessments and needing to make up budget deficients. This surplus could help with those predicitions for 2010.

"Less than a week after confirmation that an accounting error left an extra $6.2 million in county coffers, the Stafford Board of Supervisors voted to start spending it.

Supervisors narrowly passed a resolution yesterday that uses $1.4 million of the surplus to give bonuses to certain school employees and sheriff's deputies.

The resolution, approved on a 4-3 vote, specifies that $1 million be allocated to teachers, $57,000 to school paraprofessionals, $15,000 to school nurses and $344,000 to deputies. Supervisors Joe Brito, George Schwartz and Bob Woodson voted against the resolution. Brito and Schwartz, who go off the board in January, said they supported salary increases instead of bonuses.

The vote came after a heated discussion by board members and admonitions from County Administrator Anthony Romanello and Commissioner of the Revenue Scott Mayausky. Both recommended supervisors wait and consider such financial decisions during spring budget discussions.

'This would make the challenge for the board next spring even more difficult,' Romanello said, referencing projected revenue shortfalls. 'Staff believes decisions like this one are best considered in the context of the budget process.'

Though he voted for the bonuses, Supervisor Paul Milde called the proposal a political stunt and a gimmick perpetrated without proper consideration by a lame-duck board.

'Mr. Brito,' Milde said. 'Shame on you for subverting our process with a last-minute $1.4 million expenditure. Way to go out.'

Brito added the resolution to the agenda just prior to yesterday's meeting. He said his intent was to bring Stafford teacher salaries in line with those in Spotsylvania."

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