With the announcement that "Dickie" King will forgo seeking re-election in the Bermuda District of Chesterfield County it appears as if there is a potential opportunity for new voices and/or visions. Mr. King is the second supervisor not to seek re-election. So there will be FIVE seats up in November and two of those will be without a running incumbant.
Mr. King has expressed his support for Jack R. Wilson, Republican , of the planning commission. The Commission of course also has Dan Gecker who likely though has not announced will re-challange Don Sowder for the Midlothian seat Mr. Sowder took over after the resignation of Ed Barber and his defeat of Gecker in the election last Fall.
The field is wide open for the Board this November. The blogs are just breaking the huddle. Chesterfield is at a crossroads and this election could very well impact the next 10 years not simply the four each Supervisor will serve. Hard choices will have to be made, especially in transportation, education and emergency services. The biggest question comes from an email I received recently asking:
How is it that Henrico County appears to continually get more out of less revenue?
If there is any doubt where their priorities lie, visit their schools and take a trip to their state of the art library at Tuckahoe.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Property Tax Rate debate
As most of you know, I reside in the Midlothian District of Chesterfield and have lived in the area or had family in the area since 1983. What most of the current Board would like us to do is forget the past. Loss all connections with memory. You see we have been at this crossroads before. We failed then and we are about to fail again. How?
I actually have to stand with Dickie King on this one. If the most it can be in terms of a rate is 99 cents that thats what it should be. In response to many emails to me about this I simply makes no sense at this time in the counties so called "controlled growth" phase should this be happening. Now do not get me wrong people will argue that the would love to have their property tax bill lowered....thats is an easy political ploy. The fact remains:
The schools system will lose 2 million in funds with each 1 cent reduction in the property rate
The county generally will lose 1 million in funds for every 1 cent reduction in the tax rate
All the debate does not change the fact that we as citizens are tasked with having to have faith in that we are being told that a decrease in the rate would be "revenue nuetral"...remind me to call my old ecomomics professor to explain to me the value of that in high growth juristictions. We are being led down the path that 99cents would take into account inflation, growth etc. Take heed folks....no one seem to be able to predict or forsee that drastic escalation on constrcution costs for a proposed school and yet we are being told by the same apparatus that we should be okay with the proposed rate. Forfive me for my reservation.
But:
We have no way of knowing how transportation, roads etc are going to come down from the General Assembly except that we can expect little relief. We know the county plans to advertise this new rate (a reduction from 1.04) which could further increase population density in the county in certain areas. Assesments on property itself rose 16% as it is...so whats the reality?
The reality is simply we are talking about less than two hundred dollars relief in exchange for increases across the board for countywide services. Its coming.
The difference between 99 cents and 95 cents per 100 of assessed value on a 250,000 Chesterfiled home is $100.00 (2,475 vs. 2,375) .....now factor that once the county losses the revenue and costs continue to rise faster than anticpated as has held true the last few years fees and services will be increased.
We already know we cannot at current revenue levels build schools fats enough to meet the demand of population growth. This Board refuses to increase proffers or do anyhting to hold developers accountable for the profits derived from their residentail projects, which continue to keep going before the Planning Commission.
Again...apologies for my reservations.
I refer back to 1983. Mr. Sowder (Midlothian District) I would like to remind you that in 1983 there were trailers behind Robious Middle for students. Students in 2007 across the county still are subjected to learning in trailors some 25 years later percisely because The Board continues to do what is politcally expedient and not what will benefit us or our childrens future.
If the big picture is looked at....staying the course at 1.04 might not be the worst of ideas. No one can anticpate the costs of the future or what the fallout would be if there was an emergency services crisis in the county in the coming years.
I actually have to stand with Dickie King on this one. If the most it can be in terms of a rate is 99 cents that thats what it should be. In response to many emails to me about this I simply makes no sense at this time in the counties so called "controlled growth" phase should this be happening. Now do not get me wrong people will argue that the would love to have their property tax bill lowered....thats is an easy political ploy. The fact remains:
The schools system will lose 2 million in funds with each 1 cent reduction in the property rate
The county generally will lose 1 million in funds for every 1 cent reduction in the tax rate
All the debate does not change the fact that we as citizens are tasked with having to have faith in that we are being told that a decrease in the rate would be "revenue nuetral"...remind me to call my old ecomomics professor to explain to me the value of that in high growth juristictions. We are being led down the path that 99cents would take into account inflation, growth etc. Take heed folks....no one seem to be able to predict or forsee that drastic escalation on constrcution costs for a proposed school and yet we are being told by the same apparatus that we should be okay with the proposed rate. Forfive me for my reservation.
But:
We have no way of knowing how transportation, roads etc are going to come down from the General Assembly except that we can expect little relief. We know the county plans to advertise this new rate (a reduction from 1.04) which could further increase population density in the county in certain areas. Assesments on property itself rose 16% as it is...so whats the reality?
The reality is simply we are talking about less than two hundred dollars relief in exchange for increases across the board for countywide services. Its coming.
The difference between 99 cents and 95 cents per 100 of assessed value on a 250,000 Chesterfiled home is $100.00 (2,475 vs. 2,375) .....now factor that once the county losses the revenue and costs continue to rise faster than anticpated as has held true the last few years fees and services will be increased.
We already know we cannot at current revenue levels build schools fats enough to meet the demand of population growth. This Board refuses to increase proffers or do anyhting to hold developers accountable for the profits derived from their residentail projects, which continue to keep going before the Planning Commission.
Again...apologies for my reservations.
I refer back to 1983. Mr. Sowder (Midlothian District) I would like to remind you that in 1983 there were trailers behind Robious Middle for students. Students in 2007 across the county still are subjected to learning in trailors some 25 years later percisely because The Board continues to do what is politcally expedient and not what will benefit us or our childrens future.
If the big picture is looked at....staying the course at 1.04 might not be the worst of ideas. No one can anticpate the costs of the future or what the fallout would be if there was an emergency services crisis in the county in the coming years.
Mataoca District Race
The race has been on in the district since word broke that Renny Humphrey would not be seeking re-election in the district for the seat on the Board. She had won re-election over Democrat Bill Hastings, who is likely the well ahead of all the other potential in the field because he is able to carry-over many of his efforts from last election into a run again. Mr. Hastings is being challenged within the Chesterfield Democrat ranks by Don Wilms.
The Republicans have seen three potential candidates for the Mataoca seat withdraw. Edgar Wallin, Bob Herndon and Steve Elswick all apear out. The Chesterfiled Republican Committee Chair Sherman Litton has Kevin Salminen on deck at this point with a declared intent to run.
This seat may indeed impact the direction of further county wide development as Mataoca as of late has seen numerous zoning battles arise out of the size and scope of recent proposals for land use in that area of the county.
The Republicans have seen three potential candidates for the Mataoca seat withdraw. Edgar Wallin, Bob Herndon and Steve Elswick all apear out. The Chesterfiled Republican Committee Chair Sherman Litton has Kevin Salminen on deck at this point with a declared intent to run.
This seat may indeed impact the direction of further county wide development as Mataoca as of late has seen numerous zoning battles arise out of the size and scope of recent proposals for land use in that area of the county.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Public Hearing Set March 28th
A Public Hearing is open for citizens who would wish to express comments regarding the Chesterfield County FY08 budget. The forum will be open and ill be held March 28th at 6:30 in the Meeting Room at 9901 Lori Road. This meeting will also be shown via Chesterfiled station allocated for local events (Channel 17 in county via Comcast)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
