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slow growth in tax revenue, as one reason for greater stress.
file report also cited shrinking federal aid to localities as another reason for stress. Local governments got $80.3 million less from the federal government in 19X2. than in fiscal 1980, according to the report.
In a survey sent to local governments, 58 percent of the respondents from cities and 40 percent from counties agreed that the financial condition of his or her local goverment “is much worse than it was six years ago.”
Ninety-two percent of the respondents from cities and 73 percent from counties also agreed that it “is becoming increasingly difficult to find sufficient revenues to maintain existing service levels."
Hut not all localities are in had shape, according to the JLARC report.
Rappahannock County, for example, was rated number one among the 136 counties and cities as having the least fiscal stress, in terms of revenue capacity. (The report used figures from the 19.x 1-82 fiscal year.)
“They (Rappahannock) have a very high capacity to raise revenues," said Bennett. But despite that capacity, he said, there has been a low tax effort in Rappahannock — meaning the county has the capacity to raise taxes but has chosen not to, he said.
Thus, the report found, Rappahannock had the least fiscal stress in that particular category.
Clarke County was ranked 33rd in revenue capacity, Fauquier 10th, Fairfax eighth, and Loudoun loth.
Only Clarke was slightly over the average revenue capacity for localities statewide, according to the report.
The report generally
found that cities with stagnant tax bases, high poverty and lower income levels
63.7%