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In looking back on the major stories of 1997 in Rappahannock County it is immediately clear they are not stories to look back on but rather stories that are continuing into 1998 and most likely beyond.
We’ll take a look at them in the basic order in which they occurred, or began, during the past year.
School budget
The first is the continuing problem of funding the county’s school budget, the revenue for which comes solely from county real estate taxes. In 1997 there was a tax increase and with upcoming capitol improvement projects planned by the school system and the newly implemented Standards of Learning (which will require remedial training funds just as the Literacy Passport Test did) the issue of yet another tax increase is sure to come up soon.
Ridgetops
Development of mountain and ridge tops in the county is an issue which came up repeatedly (almost every month this year). The County Planning Commission has worked for several years to draw up a proposal to amend the Erosion and Sediment Control ordinance. The first half of that proposal was forwarded to the County Board of Supervisors in November (was tabled for December) and it will come up this month at the board’s meeting.
Meanwhile the commission IssriHt-weirk tofmalize thelast half of the proposal! There has been much argument both for and against and it is an issue which will no doubt generate a great deal of debate in 1998.
Water issues
The county’s water issues have also been much in the news this year. Stories have
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