Other March 1 actions

 

Redistricting

On February 22, the Board of Supervisors reviewed citizen comments about the proposed redistricting map and held a public hearing. The board then voted to proceed with the map presented by the redistricting team in late December.

The 2022 redistricting map

County Attorney Tara McGee addressed the three comments—change the boundary between District 4 and 5 to place all of Kinloch and Broad Run in the same voting district; change the boundary between Districts 1 and 2; and due to growing population, add a third voting precincts in District 4.

McGee explained that the redistrict team looked at ways place both Kinloch and Broad Run in the same district. When adjusting voting district boundaries after a census, said McGee, localities are only permitted to move census blocks as established by the federal government. She contended that, based on the April 1, 2020 federal head count, it is not possible to combine the two subdivisions in the same district with a legally acceptable solution.

Adding a third polling place to District 4, again to deal with increased population, is, at this time, difficult. The only possible location would be Salem Baptist Church, located less than one mile from the precinct boundary, but physically in a different house of delegates district.

According to County Director of Elections Ryan Mulligan 32 percent of the county's registered voters cast their ballots via early voting significantly reducing the number of voters at the polls on election day. He expects this trend to continue this year.

McGee said that while the Board of Elections believes District 4 precinct will be needed by the 2024 presidential election, and the county should prepare for it, adding a third polling place outside the redistricting process is somewhat easier. The proposed fire-rescue station on Hockett Road would be an appropriate place, said McGee because it will be a county-owned building.

Don Sharpe, District 4, said that moving polling places confuses voters and should be done as little as possible.

A request to adjust the boundary between Districts 2 and 2, made by someone who would not be affected by the change, was also rejected. Among other things, the suggested boundary change would require some voters to drive by polling place at Byrd Elementary School to get to their voting location.

The Board voted to hold a public hearing and take a vote to adopt the redistricting map on March 15 at 6:30 p.m. The map becomes effective 30 days after the vote, well before any spring primary elections. All registered voters will receive notice of their polling precinct in the mail.

Please go to https://www.goochlandva.us/1191/Redistricting for complete information.

More debt for the TCSD

The supervisors voted to issue a county water and sewer bond to be sold to the Virginia Resources Authority to "fund certain sewer public improvements in the maximum amount of $7,040,000." The money will be used to replace 11,000 linear feet of Tuckahoe Creek Service District (TCSD) wastewater pipe from the county pump station on the north side of Patterson Avenue west of the Henrico line. (See the March 1 board packet, beginning on page 99 for the entire document.)

Ken Peterson, District 5 explained that the county is using VRA bonds—more expensive than the general obligation bonds—because, unlike the county, which has a "triple triple bond rating, the TCSD does not have its own credit rating.

Service on the VRA debt, estimated at $450,000 annually, will come out of utility rate collections. The county also made a "moral obligation pledge" on the debt, essentially promising to cover any shortfalls. These are 20-year bonds, callable after ten years.

Last summer, the line in question ruptured, dumping 300,000 gallons of raw sewage into Tuckahoe Creek, which drains into the James River. This caused the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to close the river downstream for recreation. Cost to repair the breach was about $300,000. The cost of clean up and repair was $130,000, said Longshore. Another break a few years back created a geyser of raw sewage on River Road. The pipe is made of fiber reinforced material that caused a great deal of heartburn and litigation when the TCSD trunk lines were installed. The replacement pipes will be made of ductile iron, a suitable material for a pressurized sewer line.

A ruptured line closed River Road last summer

During his annual departmental budget presentation, Director of Public Utilities Matt Longshore said that the growth in the public utility customer base has been so robust over the past few years that a slowing of the rate of increase in utility rates is built into the FY 23 budget.

In 2018, Longshore reported, it was determined that year over year rate increases—five percent for water, six for sewer— were needed to keep the department solvent. A recent review of the rate structure indicated that paring the increases to three precent for water and four for sewer will achieve the same financial goals.

Connection fees—one-time charges paid by all utilities customers—fund capital improvement projects. In FY222 there was a five percent increase in connection fees, none for FY 23 and another expected in FY24.

Due to very robust increases—approximately $230 million—in assessed valuations in the TCSD, the ad valorem tax levied on its users will stay at 32 cents per $100 of valuation. Proceeds from this tax pay the debt service on bonds taken out by the county about 20 years ago to build trunk lines. Recent refinancings saved the county several million dollars. Growth in the TCSD has fueled optimism that this debt will be retired in the next ten years ending the ad valorem tax.

Utilities, Longshore explained, is an enterprise fund, meaning that it is financed by user and connection fees. The rate structure pays for operation of the system and also contributes to an R&R— rehabilitation and replace— fund to cover the cost of recurring repairs and upgrades.

Goochland's public utilities department operates and maintains all of its assets, including 162 miles of pipeline; nine sewer pump stations; three water tanks, ad two water booster tanks.