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Prior to its regular business meeting on July 6, the Goshen Town Council held a public hearing on the proposed 202324 budget for the town. The budget for the upcoming fiscal year anticipates $373,835 in expenses and revenue, an increase of $110,887.59 from last year’s proposed budget.
Most of the discussion during the public hearing was around the town-sponsored events. Town resident Jeff Shaffer asked Council how much money the town spent on the events held last year. Council member Steve Bickley replied that the town had spent just under $11,800 of the $12,000 that had been budgeted for the events. Shaffer then asked how much money had been raised from the events and Bickley said there wasn’t any, prompting Shaffer to question why the town was holding the events.
“We’re spending all this money and nothing is brought back in by your own admission,” he said. “Everything is for people out of town, so I’m not sure what the purpose [of the events] is, that’s all.”
Council member Derrick Ogden pointed out that the events had helped bring people into the town which had led to increased business at BG’s, the town’s restaurant. He also spoke in favor of the events in general.
“I support it because I think it does bring morale and it brings the community together,” he said. “The feedback I get from it, a lot of people enjoy themselves. They enjoy the music, they enjoy the company and all that. I hear good feedback from it.”
Council member Joey Sampson pointed out that, for the upcoming fiscal year, the town had budgeted $8,000 for sponsored events, a decrease from the previous budget. He also noted that previous councils had voted not to use the events as fundraisers, but that is something that could be changed in the future as the events come up.
Other changes in the budget from last year include a $3,000 decrease in revenue from the cigarette tax and a decrease in income from water revenues (from $103,000 in 2022-23 to $94,520 in 2023-24). Revenue increases include a more than $4,000 increase in miscellaneous income (up to $7,800 from $3,500) and an increase in funds from the Virginia Department of Health under the American Rescue Plan Act. The town budgeted for $58,688.25 under the act last year and is budgeting $89,659 for the upcoming fiscal year.
In addition to the decrease in expenses for town-sponsored events, the budget also shows a drop in insurance expenses (from $7451.33 in last year’s budget to $3,959 this year) and in the town’s general operating costs/equipment expense (down from $6,500 to $3,582).
Later that evening, during its regular meeting, council approved the budget in a 4-0 vote. Council member Chris Robertson was absent from the meeting.
