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.
Cross-posted (albeit with a different title) to Rappahannock Red
April 12, 2008 at 7:41 am |
Hey D.J. McGuire –
I watched the proceedings, and as expected, you failed to mention that your Republicans voted for a .56 budget that would have reduced funding by almost 7% and cut hard into education, public safety, transportation, delay bond projects voters supported – which only drives UP the cost – and other priorities the MAJORITY of taxpayers champion. Then, they tried to soften the blow by taking money from the transportation fund and putting it into the general fund, just like the General Assembly has done for years, which only worsens our road problems and pushes them down to counties like Spotsy. Your “no taxes” might make for good politics, but it certainly makes for stupid government and goes against the wishes of the overwhelming majority of Spotsy taxpayers who want good schools, a safe community, better roads, a good quality of life and a better future.
April 12, 2008 at 3:45 pm |
A 7% overall budget reduction would have be more than $30 million, not the $3 million required aafter a slary and hiring freeze in the school system (which would have only been a 4% “cut” in its request).
I also doubt that “a majority of Spotsy taxpayers” will be happy with runaway spending and higher tax bills.
April 13, 2008 at 8:38 am |
DJ
You would be suprised at how many teachers in Spotsy schools actually support your view. It is suprising how teachers know that Hill is ruining the county schools and the county budget all at the same time.
Why is fiscal restraint and logic seen as an attack on education? Cutting growth of education spending is going to lead to better schools? WHy is it never put back on the educators? Spotsy residents say, consistently, that they want better schools. THis does not mean that they want more of their money dumped into poorly managed schoools, it means that they want better schools. I read this as wanting better results. That falls to the teachers and administrators.
The SCS Board gave us the list of what would have to be cut. WHat happened? People in the schools started looking for the money elsewhere. They wouldhave cut band funding; every school band I know of started planning for how to make up the difference. Athletic depts did the same. There are items in the budget that have no business being in there, yet we are told the residents demand this stuff.
We need to fire Hill, have a school board that refuses to take their county pay, as they all have other income, and streamline the school budget. If we don’t, the schools and the county will suffer in years to come.
April 13, 2008 at 9:18 am |
DJ -
I wasn’t just talking about the school budget; it was stated and confirmed by Spotsy staff that the overall budget at the .56 rate was a decrease from last year’s budget of 7%. Period.
And let’s look at the actions of your Republican stars. Mr. Jackson voted to INCREASE funding for several big ticket items and then voted AGAINST a rate that would pay for them. He and another one of your so-called stars, Yakabouski, did this 3 years ago when they voted FOR an increased budget but then voted AGAINST paying for them. Is that the kind of honesty and integrity you are advocating??
Mr. Logan at least was honest in voting for cuts to education and public safety and other items advocated by citizens when he voted for the .56 budget. However, he wanted to steal money from transportation to cover these needs, and then, when he suggested that we forgo paying for bond debt, he insinuated that voters were too stupid to know what they voted for in the 2001 aand 2005 bond referenda.
So, these are the type of elected officials you’re bragging about – those who are dishonest, or maybe just slick when voting on budgets, or those who are arrogant and think voters are stupid? I challenge you to endorse candidates next year and in 2011 who will run on this platform of values and actions, or who will honestly stand up and say – I pledge no taxes and I’ll do that by cutting education, public safety and won’t do anything about transportation. Do it.
Finally, how is spending running away, as you suggest, when, as Connors said the other night, this budget increase is LOWER than the combined rate of inflation and growth, a formula advanced by Republicans here and elsewhere for many years? (And I know you hate Connors, so just call Spotsy staff to confirm that.) And I do believe that the majority of taxpayers are will to pay an average of 40 cents a day for better schools, a safe community, and better roads and a brighter future in Spotsy. They said so at the public hearing. You arrogantly call them a “mob,” but they are taxpayers just like you and me, and they, too, deserve recognition and respect and quite frankly represent the thinking of the majority of people living in Spotsy.
April 13, 2008 at 4:10 pm |
Nice try, lama, but Jackson voted against both the tax rate and the budget, meaning he wanted savings that weren’t accepted by the board majoity. That may be too spohisticated for you, but not, I think, for most Spotsy taxpayers.
Also, I refuse to equate more money with better performance; I’ve lived here long enough to see that disproven.
April 13, 2008 at 5:34 pm |
Yes, Jackson did vote against the .62 budget. But, there was an earlier vote that evening to increase money for items prior to votes on both budgets. Those items went beyond the .56 rate. Jackson voted for them. In an earlier meeting last week, the Board voted to move ahead with capital improvement projects which, again, were not included in the .56 scenario and probably drove the tax rate upwards to .59 or .60. Jackson voted aye. I watch these meetings, and you need to watch them more closely, too, if you want to write intelligently and factually about these matters. But, don’t believe me – go get the tapes or look at the minutes.
April 13, 2008 at 6:34 pm |
You are missing my point. Yes, Jackson voted for budget items not included in Wheeler’s equalization budget (which itself did not include things in my equalization proposal). The point is that I trust him (and Logan) to find efficiencies in other areas in order to get to 56 cents. If they had failed in that, I would have called them on it.
As it was, four members were determined to have a 62 cent rate, and the point was, sadly, moot.
April 13, 2008 at 6:40 pm |
You are missing THE point – Jackson votes to increase expenditures and then votes AGAINST paying for them. Those are facts and have nothing to do with your trust in him, or whether or not he will work with anyone to find efficiencies. Votes are votes. But, given your response, I suppose you don’t want to consider the truth or facs that may change your viewpoint.
April 14, 2008 at 6:57 am |
We will just have to agree to disagree on the interpretation of Mr. Jackson’s votes.
April 14, 2008 at 11:31 am |
[...] D.J. McGuire for Lee Hill Supervisor (Spotsy BOCS)? Posted on April 14, 2008 by Riley I like the sound of that based upon this. [...]
April 14, 2008 at 2:59 pm |
Run, DJ, run…!!
April 14, 2008 at 3:03 pm |
lama,
You and Riley were in on it together just to get me in trouble.
Come clean!!
May 7, 2008 at 9:02 am |
[...] Chesapeake a roughly equalized tax rate. Krasnoff and his allies lost that vote, just as Gary Jackson and Jerry Logan did last month, but the voters remembered, and rewarded Krasnoff with the Mayor’s [...]
May 7, 2008 at 9:03 am |
[...] Chesapeake a roughly equalized tax rate. Krasnoff and his allies lost that vote, just as Gary Jackson and Jerry Logan did last month, but the voters remembered, and rewarded Krasnoff with the Mayor’s [...]
June 11, 2008 at 10:31 pm |
[...] info By rightwingliberal Categories: spotsylvania and taxes After whining for months about being cash-strapped, the Spotsylvania School Board is considering a venture that ordinary, budget-conscious people [...]
June 11, 2008 at 10:31 pm |
[...] School Board slaps the taxpayers in the face After whining for months about being cash-strapped, the Spotsylvania School Board is considering a venture that ordinary, budget-conscious people [...]
June 16, 2008 at 1:33 pm |
[...] Republican Supervisors (Jerry Logan and Gary Jackson). If they are as firm on this as they were on the local budget, we’ll be spared this unnecessary tax [...]
July 6, 2008 at 6:14 pm |
[...] now, both anchor counties in the Fredericksburg area will be reeling from tax increases: property taxes in Spotsylvania and BPOL is Stafford. The local economy is in deep [...]
July 14, 2008 at 3:22 pm |
There is an interesting saying about the board of supervisors… it’s a place to lose friends and make enemies….
Worked out pretty well for Bill Bolling though…
August 1, 2008 at 10:40 pm |
Run, DJ, run…!!
August 13, 2008 at 2:13 pm |
[...] one more vote for the equalized tax rate last year, this would have gone by the boards. Should one of the four Supes who voted for higher taxes have a change of heart, this could disappear next [...]
August 13, 2008 at 2:13 pm |
[...] one more vote for the equalized tax rate last year, this would have gone by the boards. Should one of the four Supes who voted for higher taxes have a change of heart, this could disappear next [...]
February 28, 2009 at 2:39 pm |
[...] Cross-posted (albeit with a different title) to the right-wing liberal [...]