Category: Caroline County Board of Supervisors

Watch as VRE and its 2% gas tax increase sneak in the back door.

Oh, look, there it goes.

I dun warn you all ’bout this already.

On December 10, 2007, The Free Lance–Star reported that Caroline County had received a $100,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Transportation “to study building a passenger rail station in the Carmel Church area.”

In the story, a VRE spokesman said the following about Caroline County joining VRE: “It is a doable option”.

To join VRE, the County is required by the Code of Virginia to impose a 2% gas tax (§ 58.1-1720).

On February 18, 2008, I pointed out that the county had received $490,000 from a federal earmark for a “Commuter Rail Station at Carmel Church, VA”.

Well, this week, Rob Wittman released his earmark requests and lo and behold an additional earmark for $800,000 for a “Carmel Church Multimodal TOD Commuter Rail Project”.

UPDATE: Gary Wilson at the Department of Economic Development requested the $800,000 after “consultation with the Board of Supervisors” according to an email. Percy Ashcraft (the County Administrator) has yet to answer my e-mail (sent May 2nd, at 5:44 a.m.) asking if they are in the process of negotiating with VRE.

END UPDATE

Are any of use stupid enough to believe that the county is going to turn down $1,390,000? Those earmarks can only be used for what they’re specified for (hence the name “earmark”).

Right now, gas is costing $3.49 or so. $0.38 are federal and state tax. That makes the base price $3.11 ($3.49 – $0.38 = $3.11). The VRE gas tax would increase the cost of gas by $0.06 (3.11 * 0.02 (2%) = $0.0622). ON EVERY GALLON. An additional 6 cents of cost on every gallon of gasoline.

Cui bono? (Good for whom?)

According to the VRE’s 2006 Passenger Survey Results, there were only 49 people in Caroline County that rode VRE in 2006 (VRE [PDF]). That is less than two tenths of one percent (0.19%) of the population of Caroline County.

Did they request something like hand-held biometric units for the Sheriff’s Office like Spotsylvania County? No.

Did they request money to improve emergency radio communications like Stafford County? No.

Did they request money for equipment for police vehicles like Prince William County? No.

Did they request money to improve broadband service like the Eastern Shore, the Northern Neck, and the Middle Peninsula are going to get? No.

Instead of requesting money for something that would improve everyone in Caroline County, they want money for something that will help 0.19% of the population.

Meanwhile, everyone will be paying 6 cents (at $3.49 per gallon) more for every gallon of gas with the amount of tax increasing every time the price of gas goes up. This after they already raised real estate tax rates by $50/$100,000.

Hooray.

Addendum: What affect would this have on county services? Public safety organizations are not exempt from the tax.

In 2006, the Sheriff’s Office drove 1,006,997 miles in patrol. A 2008 Ford Crown Victoria gets a combined estimated 18 miles per gallon. That means the Sheriff’s Office purchased approximately 55,944 (1,006,997 / 18 = 55944.277 repeating) gallons in fuel. At current prices in gas, the new tax would increase the money they pay for fuel by $3,356. That’s just the increased cost the tax would have (i.e. it doesn’t include the cost of rising fuel prices [which would further increase the tax]).

Further, what affect would this have on fire and rescue equipment that gets even less miles per gallon?

End Addendum.

The Caroline BOS wants a 7.06% pay raise.

Meanwhile, Superintendent Stanley Jones and the School Board are fighting for just a 6% increase in salaries for teachers.

Not only that, but the BOS is projected to pay themselves 1.94% more than was budgeted come the end of this fiscal year. Who needs a budget, right?

And they want a 113.9% increase in benefits (medical insurance for one).

And they get to go to the National Association of Counties’s (NACo) convention in Kansas City at the cost of $13,000. Mmmm… Kansas City barbecue.

It should be noted that Spotsylvania County stopped going to NACo conventions back in 2004.

Of course, almost three years ago, Calvin Taylor and Wayne Acors went to the NACo convention Hawaii. The supposed reason for the trip to Hawaii was to learn how Hawaii has done such a great job with their rural roads (The Free Lance–Star):

Has anyone seen an improvement in roads in Caroline County?

I sure as heck haven’t. In fact, what input does the county even have in regards to roads?

Not only that, but Percy Ashcraft was talking about flying people (including members of the BOS and county staff) down to Tampa Bay for an award for the Ladysmith Sub-Area Plan (March 18, 2008 BOS Meeting – 10. Informational/Calender Items).

All this while increasing citizen’s real estate tax bill by $50/$100,000.

Paging Caroline BOS.

In King George County, from The Free Lance–Star:

Supervisor Dale Sisson asked if early June would be a realistic estimate to start service [of wireless Internet service]. [Allen] Taliaferro [a director with Virginia Broadband] wouldn’t give an exact date, but said he felt comfortable with June.

But don’t worry, Jeff Sili is kindly going to provide you with a map of where to move to so you can receive high-speed internet here in Caroline County (2008-03-11 BOS Minutes):

Supervisor Sili said that those people [who currently provide broadband services to the County] are going to come back in April to lay out the areas where they plan to grow and hopefully they will publish those.

How considerate.

Why does the county refuse to do what it needs to do?

Especially after Delegate Chris Peace bothered to get a bill (HB1329) passed that would allow wireless Internet providers to use state own communication towers to provide internet service to unserved areas.

Another bonus, according to what Mr. Thomas said during the January 8th BOS meeting, is the following: When a cell phone tower is approved by the county, the ordinances included a provision that allows the county to use the towers for the county’s telecom needs. As the county is required to create a Wireless Service Authority, Virginia Broadband (or any other company doing the service) would be allowed to use the cell towers (through the ordinance) to provide service (2008-01-08 BOS Minutes):

Chairman Thomas said that in all of our ordinances when they get a cell tower, they have to allow County access. He said so if they create a County utility, then that is a service and they have to allow access. Chairman Thomas asked Mr. Emerson if this sounded like it would work.

Mr. Emerson responded that it sounds like it, but he would have to look at it.

And for those areas without cell phone towers, all that would need to be installed is a pole (about the size of a telephone pole) according a story on Spotsylvania County’s plans (The Free Lance–Star):

Scott advised that towers would probably be no taller than a telephone pole.

But, you know, whatever guys: whenever you get around to it.

State Fair of Virginia costing Caroline County more money…

For “contractual services”? Eh?

Subsection of line item #032500-3160 “Other Contractual Services”:

“State Fair Contractual Services”:

Department [Fire/Rescue] Request: $11,760

County Admin Recommends: $11,760

Hooray.

And the Department of Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Management seems to think they’re unprepared for a incident at the State Fair considering they requested the following (the items weren’t approved):

DFR 06-01″Hard Access Response Units (2) State Fair”: 65,100

DFR 06-03 “Mini Pumper Fire Unit – State Fair”: $235,000

So, what exactly was the Board of Supervisors advertising for in 2007?

You tell me.

Here’s an interesting line item in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2007/2008 budget:

11010 ** BOARD OF SUPERVISORS **

011010-3600 ADVERTISING

For FY 2004/2005 (July 1, 2004 – June 30, 2005) Actual: $6,744

FY 05/06 (July 1, 2005 – June 30, 2006) Actual: $6,320 — -6.29%

FY 06/07 (July 1, 2006 – June 30, 2007) Actual: $12,720 — +101.27%

FY 2008:

  • Budgeted: $2,000
  • Actual on December 31, 2007: $16,387
  • Projected [simply the first half multiplied by 2]: $32,774

So, what exactly was being advertised?

Am I the only one that finds a massive increase in “advertising” in an election year to be suspicious?

Would it be all those “constituent meetings” that were being held by the Board members (three of which had seats that were in the process of being challenged) were being advertised heavily by the county?

How exactly was there more than the whole previous year’s expenditures spent in just one half of a year? (And remember that FY 06/07 [which had a 101.27% increase over the previous year] would include the first half of 2007.)

Up next: The Board of Supervisors requests a pay raise (and has their request approved in the proposed budget by the County Administrator).

Twittering Board of Supervisors Meeting

I’ll be Twittering the Board of Supervisors meeting and providing update during the meeting via text messages with my cell. Check the left sidebar under “Twitter” for updates. Doesn’t look like there’s that much interesting stuff during this meeting but I’ve got nothing else to do. :)

Video of the Board of Supervisor meetings on I’m Surrounded By Idiots

I’m in the processing of adding video from the Board of Supervisors meetings to the blog. So far, I’ve gotten part of the March 18, 2008 meeting converted and uploaded. The rest should be done in the coming days.

I’m doing this in an attempt to increase the awareness of the citizens of Caroline County of the going-ons of their government.

For those on dial-up, it may be in your best interest to use the links at the bottom of the video pages, add them to a download manager (such as GetRight), download them during the night, and then view them using a FLV player (I use Moyea FLV Player).

The tax increases are coming…

Richmond Times-Dispatch:

This year, most local government officials aren’t even pretending to cut taxes.

A handful of localities say they’ll cut tax rates — but, as is the recent practice, the cuts won’t be enough to offset rising property assessments.

Two — Caroline and Charles City counties — are raising tax rates.

[…]

Bottom line: Homeowners in 11 area localities will generally see tax bills rise — in some localties by a couple of hundred dollars for a home worth $250,000.

In Caroline County’s case (with their proposed increase $0.07/$100) there would be a $175 increase for someone with $250,000 of assessed value in land. For someone with $300,000 of property there would be $210 increase in your tax bill. Etc. etc.

FYI: There will be a hearing about the proposed tax rate increase at the next Board of Supervisors meeting on April 8th.

Addendum: As I’m writing this The Free Lance–Star‘s RSS feeds update and provides some information on the county’s budget (Caroline County is the first county detailed but for some reason the headings got dropped on the web version of the article).

On Charity Hill “Hunting Preserve”, et al.

Not sure why it’s a called a “hunting preserve” while they mostly do sporting clays but anyway:

If you want a sure-fire way to annoy the heck out of me use a stupid straw man argument. Case in point: The following was stated by several people speaking in favor of Charity Hill: “If you get rid of Charity Hill, instead of kids shooting sporting clays they will start using drugs or go in schools and shoot kids and teachers!!11!”.

Ipso facto, if you oppose Charity Hill, you’re in favor of school shootings and kids using drugs (“Will someone please think of the children?!”).

It was comments like that prompted to make a public comment stating at the very least that was disingenuous, and at the worst fear-mongering. (Sidebar: I hate public speaking, hence the fact that I do a blog. I speak way too fast. Tip: When the reporter covering the meeting sounds like she’s typing about 200 words per minute to keep up with you, you need to slow down your speaking.) :)

If it wasn’t the straw man arguments, it was some guy that stated the noise complaints were “the fault of the federal government because they outlawed silencers back in the ’30s”. I would love for someone to find me a way to put a silencer (really, they should be called a “noise suppressor”) on a shotgun!

The only person speaking in favor of Charity Hill that tried to explain the shooting after the hours allowed in their permit was the applicant’s attorney: He said that it was the owners shooting “and they can shoot any time they please”. It’s amazing convenient how the owners always seem to be the ones shooting after hours when the documented cases were all on days when they had scheduled tournaments. Just a little too pat, isn’t it?

I would love to know why this place was allowed to operate for years as “private hunt club” when they have a BPOL (Business, Professional and Occupational License [a business license in layman’s terms]) according to a person I talked to. Can someone explain to me why a “private hunt club” lists their membership designation as “public”? Anyone care to explain why they have a website soliciting business for a “private hunt club”?

You have had constant violations over the years with the club violating what is in affect a contract between the club and the county. In the end, Acors moved that Charity Hill should have their permit revoked, with Sili seconding, and the Board agreed 5–0. I know some of the Board members weren’t happy they were forced to do this in the end, but what choice did they have?