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“There is no guarantee that this will reduce future taxes-. Government is a hungry beast, and taxes once imposed are rarely rescinded," said Demaris Miller.
“I’ve done a miserable job selling this” said McCarthy, once the public hearing was concluded. In fact, before voting unanimously against the ordinance, all of the Supervisors gave the impression that they agreed with McCarthy’s reason for proposing the ordinance, but realized that the county was not persuaded.
“This is the wrong year, but this is a good program. You’re going to have to make up your mind on whether you want to see grassy fields and trees or houses when you look out your window,” said Wakefield Supervisor Roger Welch.
“I don’t have the gumption to try to tax the little man or anybody for someone else,” said Chairman Bob Anderson, of StonewallHawthome District.
The 2007 Budget
With the defeat of the Conservation Easement District, the $300,000 associated with it were automatically cut from the budget. However, aside from that money, the 19 million dollar budget would still represent more than 20% tax increase for Rappahannock County citizens. There has only been a similarly large tax hike twice in, the last decade, according to McCarthy. The fraction of the public that remained for the 2007 budget portion of Monday’s meeting engaged the Supervisors on ways to lower that increase.
According to the BOS, Rappahannock County has enjoyed lower taxes in recent years because the BOS was dipping into budget surplus to fund some county projects and avoid raising taxes.
“A couple of years of minimal tax increases run the surplus out,” explained Jackson District Supervisor Ron Frazier.
The increased taxes of fiscal 2007 were intended to replenish that money. According to the BOS, Rappahannock uses surplus money to fund county expenditures that don’t have a predictable timing, such as the eventual capping of the county landfill, or funding emergency measures.
86.1%