public safety

Gov. McDonnell has declared a state of emergency to give the National Guard, state police and other responders time to prepare for Hurricane Early.

According to Virginia's auditor of public accounts, Arlington County last year collected and spent more money per resident than any other county in the state. Arlington collected $4,240 in local revenues per resident last year, and spent $4,209 per resident.

Where does the money go? Arlington spent more cash per resident than any other county on fire and rescue services, health services, parks, and cultural services. The county came in second in police and library expenditures.

"We've made choices to provide levels of social services that are different from many other jurisdictions because that is what our community has said they wanted," said Mark Schwartz, Arlington's director of management and finance.

Localities with lots of amenities and robust public service offerings are attractive to new residents, and help keep demand for housing steady. Steady demand can lead to higher property values in the long term.

Read more in The Washington Examiner....

Shenandoah County has to close a a $2 million budget shortfall in fiscal 2010-11, and County Sheriff Tim Carter is bracing for cuts to his department that could total $564,000. “We're going to do the best that we can,” Carter said Wednesday afternoon. “But a reduction of this magnitude is a significant reduction to a department that does not have a bloated budget…There is going to be an impact.”

The fire department is also being asked to make do with less -- about $90,000 less than it had requested.

Reductions in public safety budgets can have a negative impact on home values if services are affected.

Read more at the Daily News-Record....

Some localities in the Peninsula received federal stimulus money to help prevent homelessness for some area residents who are struggling, according to the Daily Press.

The funds will be used for rental assistance, utility and security deposit payments and credit repair.

This is good news for all residents in these areas because preventing homelessness is cheaper than correcting it. Also, preventing homelessness can protect property values.

"As part of the federal stimulus package, nearly $1.4 million has come to the Peninsula to help stem the tide of growing homelessness associated with the lingering economic recession.

Government and nonprofit agencies in Hampton, Newport News, York, Poquoson, James City County and Williamsburg recently began disbursing funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing program.

The six localities evenly split about $727,000. A secondary pot of money totaling more than $659,000 was allotted specifically for Newport News, said Joy Cipriano, director of property and resource development for the Hampton/Newport News Community Services Board, the agency administering the grant funds.

The money is specifically earmarked for such things as rental assistance, utility and security deposit payments, and credit repair. It is not targeted for the chronically homeless, Cipriano said.

'The money is for helping people that were otherwise stable and making it. But, due to loss of a job or reduction of income, can't meet rent payments,' Cipriano said. 'It's cheaper to prevent homelessness than correct it once it happens.'

Cipriano said the federal government has instituted strict guidelines about how the money can be used and is requiring stringent reporting to make sure the funds are spent appropriately."

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