Loudoun supervisors have agreed to base their upcoming budget talks on a 5 percent increase in funding over last fiscal year’s plan, but allow for changes to expenditure cuts by exception.

The board on March 3 agreed to the 5 percent scenario, which includes $8.3 million in cuts to county services, $4 million in new revenue and a loss of 105 full-time county jobs. 

It doesn’t mean the tax rate will be set at $1.40, which is what the 5 percent scenario calls for, board members said.

Supervisor Lori Waters (R-Broad Run) unsuccessfully tried to gain support for setting the tax rate before the board start discussions.

“We’re trying to figure out how much money we spend, but we don’t know how much money we have. The magic question is, ‘Do we support a $1.40 or do we support another number?’ … It’s hard to set priorities when you don’t know the size of the pie,” Waters said.

Board members gave a preview of what programs could be spared, in part, from the chopping block.

The majority agreed that the $1.3 million in proposed cuts to the Loudoun County Public Library System were unfair.

Supervisor Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge) proposed restoring funding to the libraries, and to offset the costs, delay the openings of Phil A. Bolen Memorial Park and Scott Jenkins Park until July 2012.

Construction on the parks, Burton said, should continue in FY2011.

“I just can’t justify in my mind closing libraries and opening ball fields,” he said.

Supervisor Stevens Miller (D-Dulles) said he will be reluctant to cut funding for many of the county’s mental health and elderly assistance programs.

The board is facing tough decisions as they try to close a $191. 6 million budget deficit.

Simply running the county government more efficiently will not save the money the board needs to keep low taxes, jobs and services, said Vice Chair Susan Klimek Buckley (D-Sugarland Run).

“The reductions we are looking at taking are painful. Every single one has a face attached to it. These are real people. They’re real services and [people] have depended on these services for a long time,” Buckley said.