|
|
||
Looming tax increases concern Spotsylvania supervisors; board may hold budget retreat Date published: 8/26/2008
By DAN TELVOCK Nancy Tuning was hoping to hit the jackpot. The 62-year-old Spotsylvania County resident, who is on disability and a fixed income, squinted to see if her scratch-off lottery ticket had any good news. It didn't. Tuning, who lives in the Stoneybrook subdivision, needs the extra cash after she opened her higher-than-expected real estate assessment this spring. The prospect that county supervisors could raise taxes in coming years in a sluggish economy makes her cringe. "I would not be happy about it," she said. "When [supervisors] say people need to do some belt tightening, maybe they should do some, too." Allen Hays, 60, understands Tuning's situation. He said when he gets an increase in his Social Security check, his Medicare costs rise. "So, I get nothing," said Hays, who is also on a fixed income. He said he can't remember a time as rough as now. Everything is increasing, he said. "So, if they raise taxes, yeah, it's a hardship," said Hays, who lives off Jennings Lane in the Courthouse area. Raising taxes is exactly what the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors faces for the next five years, according to a recent preliminary report from budget and finance officers. In total, county residents could see their real estate tax bills jump by 25 percent, including a possible 7-cent tax increase in the upcoming budget. Supervisors face the pressure of having to balance school funding with paying for roads, parks and public safety for the 120,000 or so county residents. The pressure becomes worse in the sluggish economy, when revenue, such as sales tax and building fees, is not meeting projections. The recent report Supervisor Gary Jackson said the county government cannot continue to grow during an economic malaise. "Honestly, I think some very hard decisions are going to have to be made," he said. One point of discussion will be whether to delay major projects in the pipeline, such as the new courthouse and public safety building. Supervisor Benjamin Pitts, who suggested the retreat, said it concerns him that the tax increases would be necessary just to balance the budget with no new projects or services. Hays is not convinced a retreat will help. "No matter what we say, they are going to raise the taxes," he said. Supervisors will get a preliminary picture of the fiscal year 2010 budget during a Sept. 23 work session. Pitts said he hopes a retreat is scheduled after that meeting. Dan Telvock: 540/374-5438
the ones that gives them selfs rases then takes us where we have a hard time eating, or the ones that break the law pushing there weight around, we have no goverment,I belive we just have a bunch of self serving men and women.thats not goverment
$100,000 less today than it was two years ago, like many who live in this county. So what does the county do? Why of course, raise my real estate assessment and now, tax rate. I suppose this makes perfect sense to our county leadership, i.e, those who want to follow in the foot steps of the tax-you-to-death Fairfax County.
for group speak. That happens when no one in an organization has a clue about how to solve some problem they are facing; so they gather together to brain storm. Someone (the BOS) needs to "take charge" and make some serious decisions about county spending.
i belive the trust is all ready lost in our county system,and one can say anything the deal is no one in our goveremt saw this down turn comming,.was they at a retreat or somthing
I did. Telvock's article was vague, so I e-mailed Benjamin
Pitts directly, since he was the one who suggested the
retreat.
He responded with a very nice e-mail within a day of mine.
He stated that the purpose of the retreat was to get the
county staff and the board together to address the budget
issues. He assured me that it would be within the county
and could be be held at the Courthouse or any facility that
had adequate access to things such as adequate audio-
visual equipment.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
