Bya vote of 4-3, Spotsylvania’s Board of Supervisors imposed a 6-cent tax hike on every property owner in the county (a 10.7% increase on average). Those of us who tried to show the Board how it could cut spending and set the equalized rate of 56 cents were ignored.
As one would expect, the school system managed to scare more money out of the Board (Free Lance-Star): “Supervisor Emmitt Marshall got support to give an additional $2 million to the school system, which was still $6.2 million less than it requested.” Superintendent Jerry Hill himself admitted that a hiring and salary freeze would save $12.2 million form his requested budget. That would have left $6 million in extra savings - enough to cut the tax hike by two-thirds (from 6 cents to 2). From there, all that would have been left to glean from the budget was $3 million, less than one percent of the total budget.
Instead, Marshall, Ben Pitts, Hap Connors, and Gary Skinner chose to make the voters pay more. Later, on the actual budget vote, T.C. Waddy joined them. Only Gary Jackson and Jerry Logan voted consistently with the taxpayers and limited government.
Jackson was quick to respond, too (same link):
“Considering both current and projected economic constraints, I believe we have a responsibility to curb spending and direct our limited resources to meet our essential needs as efficiently as possible,” Jackson said in explaining why he supported an equalized tax rate. “I also believe we can and should fulfill this responsibility without imposing an 11 percent increase in the local tax burden.”
One thing I must note again - for emphasis - the only supervisors who consistently stood with the taxpayer were also the only two members nominated or endorsed by the Republican Party in last year’s election (Jackson can’t run as a GOP nominee due to the Hatch Act). Once again, the “independents” on the board proved to be malleable and susceptible to the mob. Sure, the mob was well-behaved, but it was a mob nonetheless.
Marshall, Pitts, and Skinner must face the voters next year. Let’s hope residents of Berkely, Battlefield, and Lee Hiil (which includes yours truly), learn the stark lesson from this vote, and act accordingly.
Cross-posted (albeit with a different title) to the right-wing liberal
Meanwhile in Caroline County, we have two Republicans (Bobby Popowicz and Jeff Sili), two Democrats (Maxie Rozell and Floyd Thomas), and one Independent (Wayne Acors). (Note that the Independent is a closet Republican.) The proposed rate increase was $0.07.
During the discussion Popowicz said that at most he would support a $0.045 increase in the rate to $0.53/$100 assessed (he said he wanted to raise taxes by $0.00 but that wasn’t really an option this year [Note: Caroline County didn't do reassessments this year]).
Acors immediately made a motion setting a $0.045 rate increase. Thomas (the Chairman) stopped Acors to allow the other Board members to ask any questions they had to the county staff.
Rozell stated that he couldn’t support a $0.07 increase and that he was thinking in the $0.045 range as well.
Then Sili started talking. HE WANTED A $0.07 TO $0.12 RATE INCREASE! The Chairman of the Caroline County Republican Committee wanted a $0.07 to $0.12 tax rate increase!
After some back and forth about debt retirement, Acors amended his motion to a $0.05 increase. Rozell seconded. Acors, Rozell, and Thomas voted for the $0.05 increase. Popowicz and Sili voted against.
Of course, Popowicz and Sili had opposite reasons for voting against the rate increase. Popowicz wanted the rate lower while Sili wanted the rate HIGHER.
Here’s what I’d like to see. I would like to see a complete report on where our tax dollars are going, particularly with education. Politicians are always using education as a reason to raise taxes. How much are we spending per pupil? How much were we spending 30 years ago? How much of that goes to teachers, books, student activities, and bureaucratic staff now? How much 30 years ago? We are spending more than ever on education and yet teachers are getting unfairly low salaries. It doesn’t make sense, and I’d like to see where the money goes.
Guy,
We have a term for that in the cost-estimating community: Activity-based costing.
You can be sure Dr. Hill will run from it like the plague.