Chesapeake mosquito agency's budget may take a bite

CHESAPEAKE

The Chesapeake Mosquito Control Commission hasn't been short on cash over the last few years.

A year ago, the commission spent about $1.2 million on a new satellite office in southern Chesapeake, officials said. And city records show that the agency's fund balance is approaching $4 million because of surpluses.

That is why mosquito control could be in for one of Chesapeake's biggest fund reductions this year, if the council approves City Manager William Harrell's proposed budget.

The budget recommends cutting the real estate tax rate for the mosquito control commission from 2 cents to 1 cent per $100 of assessed value, a move that could result in about $2.4 million less for the agency this year, officials said.

It could be the only tax rate decrease that Chesapeake homeowners see. Harrell is proposing no drop in the personal property and general real estate tax rates, citing the difficult economic conditions.

Gene R. Payne, the commission's director, said he and his staff are trying to figure out how the cut would affect the agency's ability to reduce and control the city's mosquito population.

"We're going to make every effort to maintain our services to the public," Payne said. "Certainly, when you start cutting back revenues, that could be affected."

City officials say they would let mosquito control dip into the city's emergency event contingency or reserve funds in case a storm requires more surveillance or treatment. City Councilwoman Rebecca Adams said the city would put together an action team to develop service plans.

If the agency is allowed to use city emergency funds, the tax rate cut "will work," Adams said.

Other council members, including Mayor Dalton Edge and Councilman Alan Krasnoff, say they could support this as a way to bring residents some tax relief.

"When we have an opportunity to cut the tax rate, we should," Krasnoff said.

This isn't the first time city leaders have looked to mosquito control during budget season.

In 2001, The Virginian-Pilot reported that on a per-square-mile basis, the city's program was one of the costliest in the country. Its budget was larger than programs in Miami and New Orleans, the newspaper's report showed.

In 2003, the commission was reorganized from five districts to one citywide district. And in 2004, Edge wanted to switch some of mosquito control's money to a school-construction lock box. But Edge, then a councilman running for mayor, backed off the idea because he saw minimal savings. He was also worried about the effect on public health.

"I decided the risk was too great," he said.

The mosquito control commission had a slower than usual year, Payne said, because of the lack of rain. That left more cash sitting in the reserves.

Payne said he does not think the commission has too much money.

"We felt like we were adequately funded," he said. "We felt like we could handle anything that arises."

Said Adams: "They are always going to err on the conservative side, in terms of money. They want to make sure they can take care of any emergency that comes up. You never know what the next year is going to bring."

Mike Saewitz, (757) 222-5207, mike.saewitz@pilotonline.com