Residents balk at proposed tax increases By Amanda Isley • Staff writer
WARM SPRINGS - A hearing on proposed tax increases brought solid opposition from Bath residents Tuesday. Topics such as the Homestead Preserve development, Bath County Pumped Storage Station, and county programs like School-Age Enrichment Extended Day Services/ Child Day Camp (SEEDS) prompted questions and some criticism from citizens.
Two of the four supervisors present Tuesday night - Richard Byrd and Jon Trees - indicated they would not vote for a tax increase. Supervisor Percy Nowlin was absent.
 | | Bacova resident Jay Trinca spoke out against proposed tax increases in Bath along with at least five other citizens. (Recorder photo by Amanda Isley)
|
|
A 6-cent increase in both real estate property and personal property tax was proposed.
That would take real estate taxes from 45 to 51 cents per $100 assessed value, and personal property taxes from 20 to 26 cents per $100 per assessed value if approved by supervisors next Tuesday.
Trees pointed out the county's revenue has decreased, and that Bath's main source of revenue has been taxes. "The only tax increase in recent years has been through reassessment, which we have no control over," he said.
Bath land was last reassessed in 2004-05.
Bacova resident Jay Trinca said he opposed a tax increase. "Is it necessary to continue spending on wants and discretionary needs? I believe it's time to make choices. Is it doable to cut spending and perhaps cut some of these programs altogether?" he asked. "If you do that, you may not need to raise taxes."
He listed a number of items the county should look at cutting or at least reduce funding for.
First, he mentioned continuing to pay for a school bus traveling to Dabney Lancaster Community College, although that bus has not been funded for at least the last two to three budget years.
Others included the SEEDS program, the coyote bounty, E-911, and following the school efficiency review recommendation to cut eight teachers from Bath County schools.
Trinca commended the board for keeping taxes low over the years. "I've lived in five different counties in the state and this has been the best because you gentlemen have done a good job of keeping taxes low," he said.
Carl Chestnut of Mitchelltown agreed with Trinca. "I think taxes should be left alone - there's an assessment coming up this year," he said.
Joey Altizer of Ashwood and Kenny Lindsay of Carloover took the county and Homestead Preserve to task.
Altizer wanted to know why declining tax revenue from Dominion Power's pumped storage station over the last three years, amounting to about $3 million, had not been offset by taxes and the Homestead Preserve development. "If land values are going up, our taxes are going up without you increasing them, so where are we losing here?"
Altizer said his grandmother was on a fixed income and an increase in taxes would cause her substantial financial strain.
Lindsay wanted to know what the tax rate was on Homestead Preserve properties. "Seems to me they are getting a whole lot of breaks in this county," he said. Lindsay also said he had heard The Homestead golf courses were zoned agricultural, potentially affecting how that property is assessed.
Commissioner of revenue Leta Norfleet confirmed zoning can affect property reassessment but she was not sure of the zoning at the golf courses.
Norfleet said there is money in the budget to begin a reassessment in July 2007, but that it would not affect taxes until December 2009.
Lindsay suggested reinstating the county vehicle sticker as a means to generate revenue instead of raising taxes.
Altizer grew passionate in his description of how native Bath residents felt about the proposed increase.
"Millions of dollars are pouring into this county every day - where does the county get a cut of that? The local people are getting screwed and we know it. You're telling me that the people who have lived here all their lives, who built this county - you're going to force them out by raising taxes, and you're not going to tax the people spending millions? That's how the local people feel and if that's not the way it is, somebody needs to start clearing it up," he said.
Trees said Homestead Preserve properties were currently taxed under the last reassessment. Those rates would be adjusted after the next reassessment.
He also noted money from reassessments would not begin coming in until 2009.
School board chair and Millboro resident Kaye May questioned how Preserve property would be assessed compared to neighboring properties, expressing concern that properties near the high-end development would likely be assessed in a similar fashion to the Preserve lots, meaning there could be a hefty real estate tax increase for some homeowners.
In addition, Altizer, along with resident George Persinger, wanted to know how the 9,000 acres designated for The Nature Conservancy affected the tax base.
Supervisor Stuart Hall said the Conservancy was not required to pay taxes as a non-profit organization, but that it had so far been a good neighbor. "Up to this point, it has paid a payment in lieu of taxes," he said.
Trees said, "There are two ways to balance next year's budget, which currently has a $1.1 million difference between expenditures and revenue - to spend the fund balance down to zero or to raise taxes 6 cents. Remember that," he said.
Tree predicted the board would probably vote against the increase. "I'm going to vote not to, but I'm going to have a whole list of cuts next Tuesday night - people are going to scream bloody murder, but I will not, by not raising taxes, put this county in a position to perhaps have to borrow money to operate toward the end of next fiscal year," he said.
Byrd said he would find other ways to balance the budget as well. "I will not support a tax increase; I will balance the budget without a tax increase. We have to make some tough decisions and I have no problem with making those decisions," he said.
Board chair Cliff Gilchrest pointed out the difficulty loss of revenue from Dominion Power's utility had created. He said the amount of revenue received from Dominion dropped 13 percent this year, and around 14 percent last year. Another drop next year was completely possible, he said.
Hall said the board would promise to do its best to treat everyone fairly next week when it came to a vote on county and school budgets and proposed tax levies. "Hopefully we can approve a budget and set tax levies everybody can afford to live with," he said.
The meeting was continued to Tuesday, April 24 at 7 p.m. in room 115 of the courthouse. Supervisors will vote on both the county and school budgets, and the proposed tax increases.
| 
