Accomack County leaders are considering appropriating $2 million of unused money from the school division to offset an imbalance in the local emergency services fund.
This is part of the county’s annual budget proposals, which also includes a property tax increase of 13-thousandths of a cent per $100 of assessed value.
“This was an extremely difficult budget to balance,” said county administrator Mike Mason.
Last month, the county board broached the subject of using unspent school money with officials from Accomack County Public Schools to offset an EMS fund imbalance through the end of fiscal year 2029.
A total of $29.5 million in unused funds remained on the school division’s books as of June 30, 2025.
By state law, all unused school district funds revert to the locality of origin. In 2019, Accomack County adopted a policy to only keep up to 50%. Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the county has distributed back 100% of the funds, until now.
Beth Onley, director of operations for Accomack County Public Schools, presented a school district budget that used the entire $29.5 million. She said that amount has accumulated over the past few years because the division's focus was to first use funds distributed during the pandemic before deadlines expired.
“I want to give you a heads up,” said Supervisor Robert Crockett, explaining the EMS imbalance to Onley.
“I have asked the board to consider for the next three years … not to do the 50/50 with the carryover funds, but for the board to keep $2 million to plug the deficit.”
He said this would provide ample time for the board to restructure the EMS fund.
“I understand and appreciate your position, but it’s my position that I’m supposed to advocate for the schools,” responded Onley.
Superintendent Gennifer Miller declined to comment further regarding the $2 million.
County Administrator Mason said he has been told that the school division will submit a new budget, less the $2 million.
Mason said several factors led to the EMS fund imbalance.
In 2022, 12 new full-time EMS positions were funded without a tax increase. These positions enabled the Greenbackville Volunteer Fire Company, the county’s northernmost station, to be staffed around the clock.
The next year, targeted pay raises were approved to provide competitive starting salaries for new recruits, as well as raises aimed to retain existing first responders. Again, this was accomplished without a property tax hike.
These decisions, coupled with increasing expenditures, began depleting the EMS fund’s balance.
Last fiscal year, the imbalance was partially addressed by increasing the property tax rate by five cents from $.48 to $.53 per $100 of a property’s tax assessed value.
Chincoteague was not included in that hike because it funds its own EMS department.
The proposed property tax rate increase will affect property owners on the island because its revenues will not be used toward the EMS imbalance.
The Accomack County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on the 2027 fiscal year budget and proposed property tax increase at 6 p.m. on March 30 at Metompkin Elementary School, 24501 Parksley Rd. in Parksley.
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