ISLE OF WIGHT
Today the Isle of Wight Board of Supervisors is scheduled to adopt its $70.38 million budget for fiscal year 2015-2016. The real estate rate remains at 85 cents per $100.

The vote must be done today in accordance with the law. However, the supervisors will have more time next year — May 15 — owing to a change in the law by the General Assembly.

Thanks to work done by all departments and their staffs, the deficit has been reduced to a point — $1.6 million — so that a tax increase won’t be required for the upcoming year. But, county residents can expect a proposed increase in water and sewer rates.

During last week’s public hearing on the budget, the supervisors agreed to take over the upcoming back pay invoice payment of $285,000. This is to pay for work done on the new Georgie D. Tyler Middle School. In addition, the board will also take up payments that follow. Don Robertson, spokesman for the county, said the money for the new invoice and the others will come from a reserve account established for the Davis-Bacon Act payments. Ultimately, that source is from the unassigned fund balance.

This in turn allows the school system to devote the money to replace the sprinkler system at the elementary school in Carrollton.