Rebuttal

 

October 6 Board of Supervisors’ meeting. (Media for the meeting, which includes a closed caption video and transcript, is available at the “watch county meetings” tab on the county website https://www.goochlandva.us/)

The supervisors voted 4-1, Tom Winfree, District 3, recused himself from the matter, to grant a deferral,  requested by applicant Virginia Sports Parks and Training Center, until February 2, 2027, for a public hearing on a conditional use permit to allow a shooting range on property near Hadensville just north of I-64.

The board also unanimously approved a resolution extending the time given to the planning commission’s consideration of proposed  amendments to the comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance provisions related to the Technology Overlay District and Technology Zone to January 22, 2027. Proposed language will be shared at a community meeting before proceeding to a public hearing before the planning commission.

There will be a county-wide town hall meeting on Wednesday, October 21 beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Goochland High School auditorium beginning at 6:30 p.m. These meetings typically share information about a wide range of local government related topics.

An opportunity for supervisors to respond to citizen comment period was added to the agenda. This was long overdue. Since the Technology overlay district and technology zone were created, citizen comment at every public meeting has been robust. The October 6 evening citizen comment period was no exception. Opponents of data centers, especially the pending conditional use permit proposal for a data center campus adjacent to Mosaic, the proposed shooting range, and sprawl caused by development, made their views known.

During the audit and finance committee meeting held earlier that afternoon, County Administrator Jeremy Raley, Ed.D. presented a snapshot of the county’s financial position that included a list of capital improvement projects totaling about half a billion dollars. Going forward, at current tax rates, the county could have an approximately $44 million dollar deficit by 2036 as expenses exceed revenue at current levels.

He also discussed the county goal of a tax revenue ratio of 30 percent residential to 70 percent commercial. Currently, the ratio is 82/18, hence the initiative to attract more significant economic development.

There have been several entreaties by vocal newcomers, about 1/28^th of the county population, to raise their taxes to cover the shortfall. The supervisors expressed opposition, contending that they want to keep those dollars in the  pockets of citizens.

Board Chair Jonathan Christy, District 1, said that raising tax rates is not an easy decision, especially in District 1. He recalled “door knocking” while running for office and meeting people who were barely hanging on. He said that while some  people may be able to afford higher taxes, many cannot. “There are a lot of old families in District 1 trying to hold on to their land as and you’ve seen with my stand on Valley Link; I don’t want anyone to lose their land.”

Neil Spoonhower, District 2, who welcomes citizen engagement, reflected at the district 5 town hall meeting on October 4, that “it’s frustrating to hear people spout all kinds of things that just aren’t true and us being unable to react.” He said that the 53-cent tax rate is no accident. When assessment declined 30 percent in 2008, the board didn’t raise tax rates to make up the shortfall but kept government lean and used tax dollars wisely.

Spoonhower thanked the citizens for their engagement. He reiterated that neither the VSP nor Tract proposals are done deals and that the board is working hard to be transparent despite repeated contentions to the contrary. “We do take this stuff seriously. There are no backroom conversations going on, nobody is in anybody’s pocket.”

Charlie Vaughtrs, District 4, alluded to the half billion dollars’ worth of capital projects that have been on the county radar for years and are woefully underfunded. To meet this goal all opportunities must be considered. He too opposes higher tax rates but contended that people not open to  economic development possibilities make decisions difficult, and it’s important to look at all possibilities with an open mind.

Jonathan Lyle, District 5, who served as a Monacan Soil and Water Conservation District Director and is a Director for the Goochland Farm Bureau, pointed out that the land use tax rate, set by an algorithm created at Virginia Tech of $1,100 per acre may not seem like much, but is an integral part of preserving the 85 percent rural, 15 percent developed county land use goal.

“If you want to grow residential rooftops, tell a farmer that who is making maybe $300 or $400 an acre on soybeans that he's now going to pay for fair market value on his property of 50, 60, $100,000 an acre. You'll see a construction boom going on in this County, and it will be for housing that we can't support at a 53-cent tax rate,” contended Lyle.

And the beat goes on.