Amherst supervisors nix office expansion

Amherst County supervisors last week voted to cease negotiating with a Danville company for the designing of a new county office building in Amherst, which would house several departments.

Chairman Don Kidd said it would be “sending the wrong message” to spend $2.3 million on the project during a time of local school layoffs and a struggling economy.

Supervisor Claudia Tucker said a new building is not a “common sense” move and that she preferred that the county work to decrease its debt load. Kidd said some of the money set aside could be used for improvements to the county’s office building on Goodwin Street in Amherst that needs improvements.

Supervisors have debated office expansion for the past several years but have not made any final decisions on expansion or significant renovations.

Also last week, supervisors discussed three proposals from law firms for interim county attorney services but did not take action. The county has been without an attorney since the board of supervisors voted to cease employment of Vaden Hunt in early March.  

Greehan, Taves, Pandak & Stoner, of Prince William County, proposed fixed fees of $1,600 a month for legal counsel at the supervisors’ two monthly meetings and a cap of $9,000 a month for other legal services.

Sands Anderson of Richmond offered two methods the county could choose from: a fixed monthly fee of roughly $13,000 a month for meeting attendance and 40 hours of legal work or discounted hourly rates of $285 for shareholder, $255 for counsel, $230 for associate or $140 for paralegal.

Troutman Sanders of Richmond proposed fixed fees of $1,900 for attendance at the two meetings and $10,500 for 40 hours of monthly legal services.

The county is advertising a full-time staff attorney’s position but has not yet hired anyone.

Supervisor Ray Vandall said he would not support going with “any attorney at this time” without putting a $5,000 monthly cap on services.

Kidd said the selectee should have local government experience and that he wasn’t certain that a full-time attorney was needed. He said he didn’t believe it was “fiscally responsible” to seek legal aid from outside the county.

County Administrator Lee Lintecum desperately needs legal assistance, Kidd said. Lintecum said a Board of Zoning Appeals hearing is scheduled in June and that an attorney is needed by then.

“My overall concern is we’re sitting here exposed, if you will,” Lintecum told supervisors last week. “I feel much more comfortable sitting here with legal counsel.”

Also last week, the supervisors formally adopted a balanced 2010-11 budget.

The $66.8 million budget includes an Amherst County Public Schools operating budget of $42.4 million, with no funds for construction, $3.7 million for federal programs and a local contribution of $14.1 million.

The budget does not raise taxes. Personal property taxes remain at $3.25 per $100 of assessed value, and motor vehicle license fees remain $25 for autos, $11 for motorcycles and $8 for trailers.

The county approved raises for some managers who will be asked to take on added responsibilities under the new county budget plan.

Previously, the Amherst County School Board approved a balanced 2010-11 budget that eliminated 37 positions, but the actual job loss was 12 full-time positions, and most were achieved through attrition.

Two of the positions were teaching positions –– one a full-time position and two part-time, according to Superintendent Brian Ratliff.

The school district also returned about $200,000 to the county in unspent funds, and Sheriff L.J. “Jimmy” Ayers III said he would devote $200,000 from traffic fines to resolve a budget impasse that involved funding for a historic train depot that would be converted into a visitors center.