JUSTIN COOK The Roanoke Times

Radford Mayor Tom Starnes, shown during a work session Monday, said during the regular meeting that city council tried to keep Intermet from closing using incentives.

| Amy Matzke-Fawcett

amy.matzke-fawcett@roanoke.com, 381-1674

RADFORD -- After listening to the city's constitutional officers detail the impact of state budget cuts on their offices Monday evening, one councilman advocated giving them the difference out of the council's discretionary fund.

At the end of Monday's council meeting, Councilman Bruce Brown said not helping the offices, which are revenue-generating services, would only worsen the city's overall budget issues.

"This isn't an easy time, but we're facing these things," Brown said. "But I think now is the time for council to consider making up the cuts to the constitutional offices."

For the fourth time in two years, constitutional offices around Virginia were hit with state budget cuts in early September as part of a scramble to make up an anticipated $1.35 billion revenue shortfall for the current fiscal year.

In years past, the city has not stepped in to subsidize state cuts.

During their Oct. 12 meeting, council members received departmental reports detailing the impact of state cuts and agreed to a special meeting with constitutional officers to further discuss matters.

Meanwhile, four of the five constitutional officers have formed the Council Opposition Support Team, pledging to support candidates who run against three incumbent council members in May -- Brown, Laurie Buchwald and Mayor Tom Starnes.

The budget meeting was held Monday before the regular council meeting and was also attended by representatives of the police department, social services, library, school system and voter registrar.

Representatives of the affected offices said they are running out of options.

"Unfortunately, I can't offer you any revenue, but I don't have the option of saying let's not hold the June primary or an election," said Registrar Tracy Howard.

State cuts to the registrar's office total about $5,000, coming from a discretionary budget of about $2,500, Howard said.

The council took no action during the meeting.

According to the reports received by the council:

n The clerk of circuit court is asking the city to absorb $2,831 of $12,916 in state cuts.

n The commissioner of revenue's office is asking the city to absorb all of its $3,507 in state cuts or it will reduce the hours given to a part-time employee, causing delays in services.

n The commonwealth's attorney's office is asking the city to absorb all of its $14,047 in state cuts.

n The sheriff's office is losing $13,497 in state funds. But because it gets a portion of all court costs paid in the city for courthouse security, it is asking the city to transfer the $13,497 from that account into its operating budget.

n The treasurer's office is asking the city to make up $2,589 of its $4,752 in state cuts by transferring back that amount from the administrative fees it collects for the city on delinquent accounts.

n The library is losing $7,418 in state funds.

Library director Ann Fisher attended the meeting but has not yet asked the city to make up the $7,418.

"I fully understand these cuts come from the state, and the city of Radford has its own financial troubles," Fisher said.

The most recent cut is on top of $5,578 cut earlier this year and $5,438 cut last year, she said.

So far, the losses have been absorbed by cutting the book budget, Fisher said, even though circulation in the children and young adults sections have risen 19 percent.

Council members repeatedly expressed dismay at the cuts and thanked those who spoke for coming forward.

"The city is facing some very tough issues, but I don't want everybody to leave here all doom and gloom," Starnes said. "We'll get through this."