CC proposing 1-cent tax hike

Charles City’s county administrator is proposing a 1-cent hike in the county’s real estate tax rate for next year. But that penny is to be dedicated solely for helping solve the county’s emergency medical transport dilemma.

County Administrator Jack Miniclier unveiled his $22 million proposed budget for fiscal 2009-10 before the county’s Board of Supervisors on March 24. The proposal is over $1.3 million lower than the current fiscal year’s $23.3 million figure.

The proposed one-cent tax increase raises the county’s real estate rate from the current 82 cents to 83 cents per $100 of assessed value.

Supervisors, meanwhile, scheduled an April 15, 7 p.m. public hearing on the proposed budget inside the county’s government building auditorium.

Miniclier told supervisors that times are difficult, adding, “We anticipate relatively stagnant revenue collections.”

But he added that matters could be worse. He noted that county real estate tax collections remain “fairly level” and that incoming money from Waste Management’s landfill in the county is meeting revenue goals established by the county’s contract with the firm.

“Our revenue is reasonably level compared to other counties,” he told the board.

Miniclier said he approached this year’s budget preparation in a two-pronged attack of cutting the current budget and reducing proposals for the upcoming year. A budget committee formed in-house with representatives from all county departments aided in the cause, he said.

The budget proposal includes $5.7 million in county dollars to help fund a $12.5 million budget for county schools. The local contribution is about $400,000 below the $6.1 million schools received from the county for the current year.

Miniclier said his proposal is designed to maintain no less than a $1.2 million figure in the county’s fund balance by the close of the next fiscal year.

No other tax increases are proposed. Supervisors are expected to take final action on the budget during their April 28 meeting.

In other business during the March 24 meeting, supervisors passed a motion advanced by District 3 representative Timothy Cotman, urging the Virginia Department of Transportation to give priority to the least amount of disturbance to county residents in choosing a final route for the Sherwood Forest leg of the Capital Trails bike path project.

A number of residents are not pleased with VDOT’s announced plan to build the bike path on the south side of Route 5 from the courthouse area to about a half-mile east of Parrish Hill Baptist Church.

VDOT officials contend, however, that placing the path on the north side of Route 5 would more than double the cost of the project from $800,000 to $1.7 million.

Cotman said county residents have been confused by VDOT’s approach to alerting the public. A web site map outlining the route placed the path on the north side of Route 5 through the Parrish Hill area, but subsequent plans show the south side, he said.

“VDOT gave the wrong information,” he said. “The map on the Internet showed the route on the north side of Parrish Hill when the real route was on the south side.”

“I think VDOT should go back to its original plan,” Supervisor Gilbert Smith chimed in.

In other matters, the board,

–Presented a resolution of appreciation to retired county planning director Bill Britton who stepped down from the post last August after serving since May 1989.

–Passed a resolution opposing VDOT’s plan to close its Sandston residency office and transfer operations to its Ashland office by January 2010.