The Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors has decided to advertise a real estate tax rate of 57 cents per $100 of valuation for fiscal 2012.

The 4-2 vote came in a marathon session that ended shortly before midnight Wednesday. In addition, the board voted to advertise a personal property tax rate of $4.15 per $100 of valuation.

The current tax rates are 54 cents on real estate and $3.85 on personal property.

Supervisors Joe Chesser of the Rivanna District, Chairman John Y. Gooch of the Palmrya District, Mozell Booker of the Fork Union District and Chris Fairchild of the Rivanna District voted for the advertised rates. Donald W. Weaver of the Cunningham District and Shaun Kenney of the Columbia District voted against the rates.

Before a packed audience, County Administrator Jay Scudder suggested to the Board of Supervisors that it set a fiscal 2012 budget with a tax rate between 60 and 65 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. Fluvanna’s budget was $58,059,586 for this fiscal year.

Weaver suggested a 51-cent tax rate with 3 cents of debt service on the school, for a total of 54 cents.

Weaver said that the budget has to include additional taxes for the debt service. “You can’t run a budget without the 3 cents in it,” he said.

Booker suggested the county add 5 cents for schools, for a total of 56 cents.

Chesser suggested a tax rate of 61 cents, which would include money for economic development. That rate was backed by Gooch. Kenney also suggested a rate of 54 cents.

Just two weeks ago, Fluvanna thought it would have to raise property tax rates to as much as 75 cents to meet its 2012 fiscal needs. That would have been nearly a 40 percent increase.

Scudder first suggested a budget with a base tax of 54 cent tax rate that would not include a recommended 3 cent set aside to pay for debt service on the new high school.

He said Fluvanna could help lower its real estate tax by raising its personal property tax. But Scudder also said that the county needs a “sustainable” property tax rate between 70 and 75 cents in the next five years.

Prior to Scudder’s budget presentation, the board spent an hour listening to residents’ concerns over the county’s finances. Most of the speakers were against raising property taxes.

“We feel there is no need for a tax increase right now,” Jerry Patchem, co-chairman of the Fluvanna Taxpayers Association, told the board.

“We ask you not to panic and go up to 75 cents until you look at other options,” he said.

Some speakers during the public comment portion took exception the School Board budget, including debt service on the new high school scheduled for completion in 2012.

But Troy-area resident Tom Payne noted that several county schools have mobile classrooms, with at least 540 students in temporary facilities. “We are building a new high school because we need space,” he told the supervisors.

“All they are trying to do is maintain what they’ve got,” Payne said of the School Board.

“We’re not fancy, we’re not trying to be fancy,” he said. “We’re just trying to maintain our quality of life. … Basically, the only tax source we’ve got is the people of Fluvanna County.”

Local elected bodies can set the tax rate for the advertised amount or less, but not a higher rate without beginning the public notice process again.

The board is expected to officially set the tax rate at its April 20 meeting.

School Board Budget

The Fluvanna County School Board presented the Board of Supervisors with a $35.46 million fiscal 2012 budget that officials called “bare bones.”

In a joint session with the supervisors, Superintendent Gena Keller said that the School Board scrutinized each area of its budget, from preschool programs to software to its vehicle fleet. The 2012 budget has factored in a 20-percent increase in fuel costs alone.

School Board Chairwoman Barbara Gibbons said that the 2012 school budget, which totals $35,464,646 and was approved Tuesday in a 3-2 vote, maintains current spending levels. She said increases accounted for items such as increased fuel costs, higher insurance premiums and decreased federal and state revenues.

“The budget we are going to present to you … is bare bones,” Gibbons said.

The School Board’s 2012 budget is 2.89 percent higher than last year’s $34,469,046 budget. But in a note presented to the Board of Supervisors, Gibbons stated that next year’s funding level is 10 percent below the 2009-10 level.

“It’s never easy in tough economic times to ask for more funding,” Gibbons said Wednesday. “We as a board have taken the fiscal responsibilities very seriously.”

Gibbons, Vice Chairwoman Camilla Washington and Bertha Armstrong voted in favor of the budget on Tuesday. Thomas Muir and Brian Phillips, who wanted more money for the schools, voted against the budget. School Board member Doug Johnson wasn’t present.

Muir said that he voted for a higher budget in part because he wanted salary cuts negated for school employees. But he took exception to those who called the School Board a rubberstamp for the teachers union.

“We are six people who take our job very seriously and we are trying to do the best we can individually,” Muir said. “We are trying our best to do what is best for our children and the best for this
community.”