Public hearing on May 10 for $55 million NK budget

New Kent residents get their chance to weigh in on the county’s proposed $55 million budget for fiscal 2010-11 during a May 10 public hearing.

The budget proposal hinges on a 70 cents per $100 of assessed value real estate tax rate, but supervisors have the option of lowering the figure before taking final action. By law, supervisors cannot raise the rate.

Supervisors made no adjustments to the proposal during yesterday’s work session other than to announce the board plans to discuss on May 10 a list of potential amendments forwarded by District 4 representative Stran Trout.

Trout is recommending the county refrain from closing trash stations one day a week as now proposed. He is also asking for a brush recycling station in the county’s western end, a 5 percent reduction in the county’s BPOL tax, making a $25 vehicle registration fee part of the annual motor vehicle tax, and accelerating work to convert the county’s “historic” school into a new home for Heritage Public Library and the county’s School Board.

Back on April 12, supervisors expected to go to public hearing with a 68-cent real estate levy and have wiggle room to reduce the rate to 67 cents. All was based on a 68-cent equalized rate arrived at as result of last year’s property reassessment.

But a week later, the board met in emergency session after learning that hearings to address reassessment challenges had lowered the county’s tax base by $128 million or $11,000 per penny on the tax rate. The county revenue commissioner’s office conducted the hearings and reported the impact.

In effect, the county’s equalized tax rate rose from 68 cents to 71 cents, and one penny on the real estate tax rate now equates to $258,000, down from $269,000.

Supervisors expressed concern that upcoming hearings before the county’s Board of Equalization on unresolved reassessment matters could further affect the tax base. But at yesterday’s work session, County Administrator Cabell Lawton said as of Monday only 23 hearings involving 37 parcels have been scheduled by the BOE. He expects the results to have little impact.