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Tax boost
driven by
major projects
By SHARON KILPATRICK
Rappahannock News Staff Writer
How did Rappahannock County get in the position where a 75-eent tax rate, 48 percent more than last year's rate of 52 cents, will be needed to fund the county’s government for the next fiscal year?
In conversations with several local government officials, the reasons lie with large capital projects undertaken during the last several years, as well.as the seemingly unending escalation in the cost of governmental services - even in a small county like Rappahannock.
And, the trend of the state and federal governments toward mandating programs and regulations but not providing the funds to implement them is also accelerating, affecting the budget of each locality.
More than half, 13 cents, of the 23-cent increase w ill be needed to recover an operating balance of about five percent. The operating balance, or surplus, is needed for unexpected emergencies, but also to operate the county government from July, when the new: budget takes effect, until November or early December when the bulk of the real estate taxes are paid.
Rappahannock County used to have a comfortable operating surplus, but the decision two years ago by the Board of Supervisors to use that fund to build the landfill has reduced the balance below zero. According to accountant Wally Cox, the county must rebuild that cushion to its former level of five percent of the total budget. That cushion, he told the board during its budget debates last year, is part of a sound fiscal management policy.
See TAXES, p. 16
70.6%