Fiscal sanity prevails

Supervisors hold the tax rate at 53 cents

During a somewhat difficult to follow public discussion at their workshop this morning, the Goochland board of supervisors decided to hold the real estate tax rate steady at 53 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.

In their afternoon session, the board approved a budget for fiscal 09-10, which begins on July 1, of $57,089,163 and a tax rate if 53 cents. The ad valorem tax on property in the Tuckahoe Creek Service District will also hold fast at 23 cents, which is levied in addition to the property tax.

The budget amount was reduced by the cost of funding projects in the county’s capital improvement plan. The board approved the CIP items the afternoon session, but did not appropriate funds for them at this time.

It is still unclear exactly what the budget includes. Hopefully, details will be posted on the county website to dispel the notion that the budget process is more than the artful use of smoke and mirrors.

Although only two citizens denounced the advertised two cent tax rate increase at last week’s public hearing, supervisors were well aware that their constituents found no favor with a tax hike in this perilous economy.

Because the value of county property increased nine tenths of one percent following last year’s reassessment, the county will take in a bit more money using the same tax rate.

The supervisors also voted to begin the process, which will include at least one public hearing, to change the frequency of reassessment from every two years to an annual valuation.

Glenn Branham, county assessor, contended that an annual assessment better reflects current changes in property values, both increases and decreases, than doing the deed every two years.

Branham reported to the board that of the 100 or so property owners objecting to their reassessments, only 22 are proceeding to the Board of Equalization. It is unclear if this small number of protests out of more than 14,000 parcels evaluated indicates grudging acceptance by tax payers, or reluctance to challenge government.

Two property owners from the Huntleigh subdivision in Maidens told the board that the assessed valuation of every lot in their subdivision, regardless of size, location or other features, increased by $25,000. They contended that increase was arbitrary and questioned the validity of the entire assessment process.

In other matters, the proposed water quality improvement ordinance that caused a great deal of confusion and consternation was sent back to the planning commission for clarification.

Two Kinloch residents asked the board why the odor problem in their water has not yet been fixed. Don Charles, director of community development and overseer of the utility department explained that an automatic flushing device will be installed in the near future. Manual flushing, opening a fire hydrant, is being used in the meantime.

Charles was optimistic that the automatic flusher will aerate the water to sufficiently diffuse the chlorine and make it acceptable to add to the local environment after eliminating the pesky odors.

Charles contended that the problem will diminish as more homes, and users, come to Kinloch. This problem is not unique to Kinloch, he explained.

The board voted to name the riverfront park under development “Tucker’s Park at Maidens Crossing” paying homage to names associated with the area where Maidens Road crosses the James.

Fire-rescue chief Ken Brown reported that the county’s first 10 career EMT/firefighters are in place with two advanced life support positions still in the advertisement stage.

In addition to forming duty crews answer calls to ensure the needs of the citizens were met during the transition period, Brown said that volunteers put in more than 300 hours helping to screen, train and prepare the career staff for duty. This bodes well for the future of fire-rescue, whose volunteers have been saving lives and protecting property in Goochland for more than 50 years. The incredible amount of time, talent and dedication that county volunteers have given to citizen service can never be valued.

Virginia Broadband, the company that will provide wireless broadband to at least part of the county, will begin its lease on the WZEZ tower west of Gum Spring on May 1. Paul Drumwright, assistant to the county administrator reported that, like many small companies, VBB is finding it difficult to borrow funds for short term operating expenses given the strange banking environment.

The forensic auditors have been hard at work in the utilities department for about two weeks and are expected to be there for another two before returning to their office to prepare their report, Charles told the supervisors.

The board has interviewed candidates for a new county administrator, though no announcements were made.