(CHARLOTTESVILLE – WINA)  The Albemarle Supervisors requested public comments Tuesday about their next budget, and one item quickly dominated the discussion.  Three speakers voiced their opposition to spending public dollars to help the Senior Center as it tries to create a new structure in the Belvedere subdivision.  Gary Grant showed the board firewood he had split on his Earlysville property.  Grant wants to make sure there’s no public money for private purposes.  The Senior Center has requested $2 million for a capital project that would be gradually appropriated over four years and start in the budget cycle that begins in July 2018.  Several supervisors defended the proposed assistance for the Senior Center.

The only other budget-related remarks came from Marta Keane, the CEO of the Jefferson Area Board for Aging.  Keane appreciates the county’s allocation for JABA. The board will adopt a new budget on April 18th.