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JCC Supes Could Consider Tax Hikes, Pay Increases at Budget RetreatBy Desiree Parker Friday, January 20, 2012 James City County’s Board of Supervisors will start talking about some budget possibilities for 2013 and 2014 at a retreat Saturday. On the table for discussion are possible tax hikes and an employee pay increase. While there is some good news in the financial projections, the county is looking at a reduction in real estate values of around six percent that could equate to about $3.5 million less in revenue, and a school funding crunch as WJCC is looking at a roughly $7.5 million shortfall. The county has a surplus of about $6 million from last fiscal year and could be looking at a smaller surplus in the current fiscal year, 2012.According to the documents the Board is reviewing for its retreat, the county is expecting roughly $700,000 in additional sales, meals, lodging and business taxes, and about $500,000 more from the state in sales tax funds for education. The Virginia Retirement System payments are recalculated every two years and the county is expecting to pay about $870,000 more towards VRS in the upcoming budget. Staff also estimates an impact of $460,000 if health insurance costs rise 10 percent. County Administrator Robert Middaugh has told the Board on several occasions that he would likley recommend pay increases for county employees, who haven’t gotten a raise in three years (the Board approved a one-time bonus for employees in December). If raises aren’t included in the upcoming two-year budget, that three years will extend to five. The estimated cost of a two percent raise would be about $660,000. Financial Manager John McDonald let the Board know in a memo that, to fill some of the projected shortfalls, it has some options to raise revenues. Options include raising the real estate tax, which is currently 77 cents for every $100,000 in value. Every penny the rate is increased would mean just over $1 million in extra revenue. Raising the rate to 81 cents would bring in about $4.2 million; at this rate residents would still be paying less than they are currently paying due to decreases in home values. The county tax rate is lower now than it was in 1994 through 2005. In 1994, the rate was 83 cents. See the historical rates on the county website here. The Board could also raise the personal property tax rate, currently $4 for every $100 assessed. Raising the tax by 20 cents would yield $1.2 million. It could choose to charge a motor vehicle license tax; if that were set to the state limit, it would generate an extra $1.65 million (York County currently charges a $23 per vehicle, about $10 below the state limit). The Board could also charge a gas or electricity tax of up to $3; Williamsburg currently charges taxes on both. These are just some of the data that the Board will be talking about Saturday as they give staff their thoughts on what the budget should look like. The Board will also talk a little bit about the applications it received from five citizens interested in filling the vacant Jamestown District seat. Interviews will be done publicly in the coming weeks. Should the Board not be able to decide on a candidate, the two Republican supervisors and the two Democrats will need to come to agreement on politically charged budget topics such as raises and whether to consider increasing taxes. The budget retreat will take place Saturday at 8 a.m. in Building F of the county government complex on Mounts Bay Road. It is open to the public, but seating in the board room is minimal. The retreat will be broadcast live, and will also play on screens in building F. View the agenda and related documents on the county website. |
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Comments
By the way how is it elected officals and judges are notr expected to pay into VRS, but the teacher corps who have not had a pay raise in years is?
It is so like the Sheriff of Nottingham getting the funds by raiding small towns. Except there is no Robin Hood to help the localities. Or is it more like the robbery barons taking what they need and leaving others to figh over the remaining crumbs.
In this tough economic environment where most people are thankful to simply hang on to their jobs, I WILL VOTE AGAINST any public official that supports tax increases at this time - regardless of who their opponent may be.
If there is to be an increase in the budget for any item, then it SHOULD be offset from another item.
It's always easy to spend other people's money, especially when you're a public official. So do the right thing like the vast majority of JCC residents; budget and spend responsibly until we are well clear of the Great Recession.
My point is simply that we as a people are willing to fund, as exemplified in Iraq and Afghanistan these past 9 years, billions of dollars on "national defense." Yet we nickel and dime our very lifeblood here at home: Our own children and their best-educated futures.
I'd rather build and fund schools as opposed to prisons any day of the week. Peace.
It's tough times for everyone rit now. I personally have not one extra dime to spare right now!.
SKIP THE RETREAT!
These observations are spot on. The general makeup of our board for the past several years has been of people who are well-liked in their districts, and may have been perfect for a stagnant division in prosperous times, but for the most part they simply lacked the foresight to see the freight train coming down the tracks. The one exception to this is Mr. Kelly, who as an engineer, has brought an analytic mind and ability to look down the road more than a couple of months( I know he still needs to be reappointed, but let's get serious here). For the most part, our elected members seemed to be more concerned with getting their own neighborhoods in to the right schools than addressing serious issues that are now at our doorstep. How do you pay tens of millions of dollars to build a brand new middle school without enough seats for the children who will be sent there? This is not Fairfax County, we have three middle schools. It should be manageable.
Ask them how they plan on getting us out of this mess, and they will answer "The strategic plan". Give me a break. That $50000 plan will be no more than a cut and paste of the same boiler plate plan you can find in any other district anywhere else in the country. Lots of feel good ideas and no concrete way of funding or implementing them.