Middleburg Town Administrator Jerry Schiro continued to project reduced tax revenues for fiscal year 2010 as Council prepares for formal discussion of spending priorities for the year ahead.

With tax revenues for 2009 already more than $350,000 below projections, and facing a 7% average reduction in the assessed value of the town's real estate, Schiro has budgeted conservatively.

No salary increases and no cost-of-living adjustments are contemplated for any Town employees.

A relatively small increase in tax rates may be sufficient to avoid a significant decrease in services, according to Schiro.

Council members urged flexibility, noting that the town should be ready and capable of responding to upturns, stagnation or further downturns in the economy.

Both Council Member Lisa Patterson and Town Planner and Zoning Administrator David Beniamino, expressed concern about the County's apparent failure to increase the assessed value of Salamander Development's property after it had been rezoned. At press time, the issue was still under investigation.

The early draft budget includes reductions in operating expenses for all Town departments, with the notable exception of the Town's Police Department, just recently brought up to full strength and, currently, unusually active.

Though suffering slight declines in month-over-month receipts from Meal-and-Occupancy Taxes and Real-Estate-and-Personal-Property Taxes, the Town still retains more than $2,000,000 in its cash accounts, thanks primarily to the impact of Salamander Development and its contractors.