Tax hike lowered, funding restored in approved budget

Charles City supervisors have taken to heart county residents’ comments by incorporating several suggestions made during last week’s budget public hearing into the final, approved document. And the board has dropped a proposed real estate tax hike by 2 cents.

Tuesday night, supervisors approved a $20.1 million budget for fiscal 2010-11. They also adopted a 68-cent real estate tax rate for next year, a figure that is down 2 cents from the 70 cents per $100 of assessed value rate advertised for the public hearing.

Earlier, County Administrator Jack Miniclier had proposed a 4-cent tax hike with one penny dedicated to county emergency medical services and the other 3 cents targeted for the county’s contingency fund. One cent for EMS remains in the approved rate, but the 3 cents for contingency have been removed.

Instead, the other cent in the tax increase is being used to restore funding for Heritage Public Library, Meals on Wheels, and Bay Transit to current year levels. Also, the penny will pay for $45,000 in repairs to the wastewater treatment plant at the county government building and help offset part of the rising cost for the county to house inmates at Riverside Regional Jail.

During the April 19 public hearing, some residents urged the board to refrain from raising the real estate levy.

“This year is not the time for a county tax increase,” Vince Brackett told board members.

Charles Tench added that the board should consider decreasing the overall budget by making across the board cuts instead of increasing taxes. Lloyd Carter said that while he agreed with designating 1 cent of the tax hike for EMS, he opposed implementing the 3 cents bound for contingency.

Almeda Tyler told board members she does not favor budget cuts, adding, “The more you cut, the less we’re going to get.” Steve Fuhrmann pointed to Charles City’s high unemployment rate in suggesting the board increase funding for Bay Transit, Central Virginia Food Bank, and Meals on Wheels. He also said it would be a mistake to reduce the county’s contribution to Heritage Public Library.

Peter Churins told supervisors to withhold money for schools until school officials apply for federal dollars available for underperforming schools and agree to an evaluation by an outside agency. He also criticized schools for returning unspent money to the county last year and took shots at school superintendent Janet Crawley and the county School Board.

“The superintendent has done very little to raise the quality of education in Charles City County,” Churins said, adding, “[Schools] should welcome any help they can get.”

Crawley responded, saying, “To those that beat us over the head, every dime [the county] got back the county needed. The fund balance would have been in worse shape if not.”

She said the fact that all three county schools are accredited, made adequate yearly progress under federal guidelines, and have been recognized for closing achievement gaps does not reflect “an ineffective superintendent aided by an ineffective School Board.”

School Board chairman Roy Campbell implored supervisors to restore school funding by allocating an extra $200,000. “What’s going to give us the biggest bang for our buck? Surely, education is that bang,” he said.

Crawley echoed Campbell’s comments, saying, “We ask you to financially and morally stand with us.

“I think it’s time we look at what business we can attract here,” she said, adding that doing so would not alter the county’s rural character. “We can’t continue to live off taxes.”

After the final speaker had left the podium, supervisors promised to consider all comments.

“It’s been a bad year, and I don’t see any difference next year,” Supervisor Gilbert Smith said. “We’d like to give everyone what they want, but that’s not going to happen.”

At Tuesday’s meeting, supervisors did not raise the county’s contribution to schools.