Hanover County ended the 2009-2010 fiscal year with a projected $7.5 million surplus. That was the good news brought before the board of supervisors last week.

Accounting division director Craig Eastman said the county’s cost savings measures added an additional $13.7 million to the budget, offsetting the decreased revenues the county collected, about $6 million short of expectations.

Hanover County Public Schools saved more than $5 million in cost cuts, and the board voted to return $2 million to a reserve fund for the school system.

The Reserve for Revenue Stabilization received $2 million. The remaining $3.3 million was used to balance the 2011 budget.

South Anna District supervisor Gordon said the savings and final numbers were a result of hard work and dedication by the school system and the county.

“I congratulate Mr. Harris and the superintendent of schools (Stewart D. Roberson) for their efforts, and to the citizens of Hanover County for supporting those efforts,” Gordon said before the board moved to accept the positive year-end report.

The question of how to fill the vacancy left by retiring Col. V. Stuart Cook is not exactly clear. The board is required by statute to file for a writ of election in Circuit Court within 15 days of the sheriff’s departure. State guidelines also require the second in command – Lt. Col. David Hines — assume that position until a special election can be held.

A special election requires Justice Department (DOJ) approval and there are special time limitations regarding the process. There’s also a $40,000 price tag associated with the election.

County attorney Sterling Rives said the county could conceivably satisfy all the guidelines and requirements by scheduling an election for late February or March of 2011. Since there is a general election scheduled for November next year, the winner would only serve for seven months until a new sheriff is elected.

Hines will assume the sheriff’s position when Cook officially retires on Oct. 1.

“There are no shortcuts. You have to open all the polling places, you have to have absentee ballots, you have to do everything you do if you were having a general election,” Rives told the supervisors.

He suggested the county proceed and file the required paperwork, and ask the judge to rule if a special election is necessary to fill such a short period of time.

Rives said he believed the court has the discretion to determine if a special election is required.

“”I think it’s appropriate to advise the court of the circumstances, but I think that’s as far as we go,” Gordon said. “I think the judge is capable of weighing his or her responsibility and making a decision as to whether we have the election or not.”

The board moved to file the writ for election and advise the court of the legal restraints limiting the schedule for a special election.

According to one Hanover resident, the process to study the current group home situation in the county is in shambles.

During last Wednesday’s meeting of the Hanover County Board of Supervisors, Henry District resident Susan Chenault expressed concerns regarding a committee appointed in the spring to study the possibility of forming a public private venture to address the three group homes in the county.

Last year’s budget process included discussions regarding the three homes, and initial proposals about closing one of the homes to cut costs in a tough budget year.

The Community Services Board suggested the merger of two of the homes to reduce costs.

Several citizens affected by the closure spoke against the measure and the supervisors eventually approved the budget, leaving the three homes intact. They charged the CSB with establishing a committee to study the operation of the group homes in the county. Chenault said that process hasn’t gone well.

“Prior to the first committee meeting, the process had been determined, the outcome had been determined, staff had been notified that they would no longer be employed as of July 1, 2011, and a process began that can best be described as an exercise in futility,” Chenault said.

She said the committee is unable to do its job due to a lack of cooperation with the CSB. “There is a cancer in the Community Services Board department,” Chenault said. “This cancer is slowly and systematically eating away at the services that are provided for individuals with intellectual disabilities,” she added.

County administrator Cecil R. “Rhu” Harris Jr. said the CSB is scheduled to present an update at the Sept. 8 meeting.

Gordon said it was the intent of the board to study possible cost cutting measures, but not to cut available services.

“We had several objectives in this process and the degradation of services was not one of the objectives. Our object is to ensure the same level of service at a reduced cost,” Gordon said.