April in the Board Room

 

Goochland’s Board of Supervisors began its April 4 meeting by recognizing county organizations that support and improve the lives of citizens challenged by circumstances beyond their control.

Hunger Awareness

The supervisors adopted a resolution recognizing April as Hunger Awareness Month. According to estimates, approximately 2,000 Goochlanders experienced food insecurity in 2022. That number is believed to have increased in 2023 due to the impact of inflation. Food insecurity is defined as “limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.” Given the distance to a grocery store, parts of western Goochland have been declared a food desert. This means that low-income citizens are dependent wholly or in part on public and private food sources to meet their nutritional needs.

The resolution encourages Goochlanders, as they are able, to take part in upcoming county wide food drives that support local food pantries.

Representatives of GoochlandCares (goochlandcares.org), which operates perhaps the largest food pantry in the county, thanked the supervisors for their support. Doug Childs, Food Pantry Director, said that pending changes to Covid era SNAP benefits will result in a 43 precent decrease, and have a huge negative impact locally. Last year, said Childs, about 200 families were food pantry patrons. That number has risen to 260, and he expects the number to increase.

Crime Victims’ Rights Week

A proclamation declaring April 23-29, 2023, annual crime victims’ rights week was adopted by the supervisors. The Goochland County Victim/Witness Program is dedicated to strengthening victims and survivors in the aftermath of crime, building resilience in our communities and our victim responders, and working for justice for all victims and survivors.

The proclamation explains that the term “victim” has legal standing and protections that go along with it.

Goochland Commonwealth’s Attorney Mike Caudill, the county’s prosecutor, said that Goochland County is very fortunate to have true professionals like Ann Jessee and Tara Proffitt, Director and Assistant Director respectively, of the Goochland Victim/Witness Program, who stand up for victims who often cannot stand up for themselves. “They have the courage to take cases to court and stand behind victims with the compassion that makes this program work,” said Caudill.

Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Ashley Thompson is the juvenile specialist in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court who works closely with Jessee and Proffitt to support victims and witnesses in difficult times.

CASA

Board Chair Neil Spoonhower, District 2, said that he had the honor of addressing the latest class of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) who were sworn in by The Honorable Deborah S. Tinsley, Chief Judge of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court earlier on April 4.  

A former CASA himself, Spoonhower explained that CASAs are the eyes and ears of the court who speak for children who, through no fault of their own, are the victims of abuse and neglect. CASAs conduct investigations on behalf of the court and report back to the judge. The children are their clients. He thanked “These amazing individuals who are willing to step up and serve in this capacity to advocate and give a voice to those who have no voice.” Go to https://goochlandcasa.org/ for more information.

Fixing things

Shop local

During citizen comment at the March Board meeting, owners and supporters of River Road Cottage and Six Pence Home Décor, shops in Courthouse Village, raised concerns about vendors at their stores being required to obtain business licenses by the Commissioner of Revenue. When local artisans, whose sales generate moderate revenues, applied for these licenses, they were told that they needed a peddler’s license, with a fee of $50 for the first quarter.

The business owners contended that vendors are not peddlers but rather consignees, a category not addressed in Goochland County ordinances.

Fast forward to April 4. During the public hearing on fees, County Attorney Tara McGee said that the Commissioner of the Revenue became aware that craftspeople were renting space to sell their wares in retail stores to sell their products.

This, said McGee, was a somewhat unusual situation because stores typically own the goods that they sell. After a good deal of research by her office and discussions with the businesses affected and the Commissioner of the Revenue, who wanted a mechanism to lower business license fees, McGee said that, going forward, all vendors—people who sell things—in Goochland County must obtain a business license. Fees for these licenses, however, will not be charged until annual sales exceed a $10,000 threshold. Sales taxes will be paid by the stores at the point of sale. Changing this fee policy will have negligible impact on county finances.

 

McGee said that a “guideline document” has been created that captures this information in an easy-to-understand format to guide staff and others asking about the policy. If all sales are reported and sales tax collected, whether by the store, or individual vendor, state sales tax requirements will be satisfied.

The “itinerant merchant” category, said McGee, applies mainly to food trucks that operate in Goochland and elsewhere.

The proposed fee schedule, which the supervisors are expected to adopt at their April 18 meeting, will reflect the change.

Be sure to visit River Road Cottage and Six Pence Home Décor, both on River Road West in Courthouse Village for their charming array of locally sourced merchandise. Spend your money close to home.