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Village budget contributes $25,000 to Playhouse

By Emily Stanley, Published: June 23, 2015

FLAT ROCK — The Flat Rock Village Council on Monday adopted a $2.13 million budget that raises the tax rate by 2.6 cents per $100 valuation, sets aside $554,200 for improvements at the Park at Flat Rock and contributes $25,000 to the Flat Rock Playhouse.

Most of the tax increase is a pass-through from the village to the three fire departments that serve Flat Rock under contract. Blue Ridge Fire & Rescue received a 2½-cent tax in the 2015-16 budget the county Board of Commissioners adopted on June 1. Valley Hill and Green River each received a 1-cent tax increase. The budget allocates $976,249 for fire and rescue service.
The Village Council plans to appropriate $463,061 from fund balance, leaving $2.76 million in reserves. On the revenue side, the village will collect $911,532 in property taxes and $287,000 in sales taxes in the budget year beginning July 1. The property tax rate of 11 cents per $100 assessed value is 2.6 cents higher than the current rate and 2.79 cents higher than the revenue neutral rate. It’s the first increase in the tax rate in four years.

Flat Rock budget


Total: $2.12 million
Tax rate: 11 cents/$100 valuation, up 2.6 cents.
Fire service: $976,249
Park donations and pledges: $195,000.
Park improvements (pavilion and playground): $554,200.
Flat Rock Playhouse donation: $25,000.

The budget appropriates $302,000 for administration and $179,000 for park operations and maintenance. It also reflects $195,000 in donations for park improvements including a new pavilion and playground, the next two projects scheduled. The Perry Rudnick N. Foundation Endowment Fund made a $45,000 naming rights donation for the community room in the new welcome center. The board also heard during its meeting on Thursday that the village had not received a $330,000 grant it sought to complete interior trails at the park. Still pending is a grant application through the state Parks and Recreation Trust Fund for $250,000, which would require a village match of $522,903 over three years. Village council members want to use the money for the pavilion and playground if it receives the money.
A public hearing on the budget is scheduled at 9:30 a.m. Monday, June 22, at Flat Rock Village Hall.