Amherst County’s budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year, including a $2.5 million funding boost to the county’s public schools division and a 7% pay raise for county employees, received the board of supervisors’ approval Monday.
The budget’s general fund of $56.2 million is more than $5 million over the current budget, an increase of 11.5%. For the first time in six years, the local contribution to Amherst County Public Schools jumped from $13.9 million to more than $16 million, a hike of 18%.
Included in the budget is a new position for the public works department at a cost just exceeding $78,000 that County Administrator Jeremy Bryant has said would be used to solely focus on cleanup and beautification efforts on the U.S. 29 Business corridor and other roads.
“I kind of have a little heartburn about that position,” Supervisor David Pugh said at the special called May 8 meeting. …