2000-03-08March 8, 2000 (Regular Night Meeting)
(Page 1)
A regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Albemarle County, Virginia, was held on March 8,
2000, at 7:00 p.m., in the Auditorium of the County Office Building, 401 McIntire Road, Charlottesville,
Virginia.
PRESENT: Mr. David P. Bowerman (arriving at 7:10 p.m.), Mr. Lindsay G. Dorrier, Jr., Ms.
Charlotte Y. Humphris, Mr. Charles S. Martin, Mr. Walter F. Perkins and Ms. Sally H. Thomas.
ABSENT: None.
OFFICERS PRESENT: County Executive, Robert W. Tucker, Jr., County Attorney, Larry W. Davis,
and Clerk, Ella W. Carey.
Agenda Item No. 1. The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m., by the Chairman, Mr. Martin.
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Agenda Item No. 2. Pledge of Allegiance.
Agenda Item No. 3. Moment of Silence.
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Agenda Item No. 4. Other Matters Not Listed on the Agenda from the Public.
There were no matters brought up at this time.
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Agenda Item No. 5. Consent Agenda. Motion was offered by Ms. Humphris, seconded by Ms.
Thomas, to approve the two items on the consent agenda. Mr. Perkins said he will not support Item 5.2 to
participate in VDOT’s Revenue Sharing Program for Fiscal Year 2000-2001. He does not think tax dollars
should be used to build highways. Also, he is not opposed to the agreement with Rockingham County, but
there are no public roads which connect the two counties directly, so any service would have to come
through other counties.
Roll was called, and the motion carried by the following recorded vote:
AYES: Ms. Humphris, Mr. Martin, Ms. Thomas and Mr. Dorrier.
NAYS: Mr. Perkins.
ABSENT: Mr. Bowerman.
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Item 5.1. Authorize County Executive to execute "Mutual Aid Agreement" between Albemarle
County and Rockingham County.
It was noted in the staff’s report that currently Albemarle County does not have written mutual aid
agreements for fire and rescue services with its neighboring counties. To assure the terms under which
such aid is delivered and to maximize the statutory immunity provided by Virginia Code §§ 27-2, 27-4 and
27-23.6, a standard agreement has been prepared and forwarded to each county for review and approval.
A Mutual Aid Agreement prepared by the Albemarle County Attorney between Albemarle County and
Rockingham County has been approved by the Rockingham County Board of Supervisors. Staff recom-
mends that the Board authorize the Chairman to execute the Mutual Aid Agreement on behalf of the
County.
By the recorded vote set out above, the Chairman was authorized to execute the following
Mutual Aid Agreement between Albemarle County and Rockingham County:
MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT made this ______ day of ___________, 2000, by and
between Albemarle County, a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia,
hereinafter referred to as "Albemarle", and Rockingham County, a political subdivision of
the Commonwealth of Virginia, hereinafter referred to as "Rockingham",
WHEREAS, it is deemed to be mutually beneficial to Albemarle and Rockingham
to enter into an agreement concerning mutual aid with regard to fire and rescue services;
and
WHEREAS, the parties desire that the terms and conditions of this Mutual Aid
Agreement be established pursuant to §§ 27-2, 27-4 and 27-23.6 of the Code of Virginia;
NOW, THEREFORE, WITNESSETH that for and in consideration of the mutual
benefits to be derived by Albemarle and Rockingham from this Agreement, Albemarle
and Rockingham hereby covenant and agree each with the other as follows:
1. That Albemarle and Rockingham will endeavor to provide fire suppression,
fire prevention, rescue, hazardous materials response, and other related governmental
services to the other county within the capabilities available at the time the request for
such support is made. Such response may be by county-paid employees or by county
volunteer company or department firefighters and rescuers.
March 8, 2000 (Regular Night Meeting)
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2. That nothing contained in this Agreement should in any manner be construed
to compel either county to respond to a request for services in the other county when the
resources of the county to which the request is being made are needed, or are being
used, within the boundaries of its own county, nor shall any such request compel the
assisting county to continue to provide services in the other county when its personnel,
apparatus or equipment are needed within the boundaries of its own county.
3. That each county acknowledges that it is fully capable of providing fire
services, rescue services, hazardous material response services, and other related
governmental services to adequately serve its respective county.
4. That neither county shall be liable to the other for any loss or damage to
property or personal injury or death of personnel resulting from the performance of this
Agreement or the failure to respond to any request for services.
5. That each county shall indemnify and save harmless the assisting county
from all claims by third parties for property damage or personal injury which may arise
out of the activities of the assisting county resulting from the performance of this Agree-
ment.
6. The county requesting assistance shall not be required to reimburse the
assisting county for apparatus, equipment or personnel occasioned by a response for
assistance, or for damage to such apparatus or equipment, or injuries to personnel
incurred when responding in the other county; provided, however, the county requesting
assistance under the terms of this Agreement shall pay the responding entity from the
other county the actual cost of specialized extinguishing or hazardous material mitigation
agents used in rendering assistance pursuant to this Agreement.
7. That the county requesting assistance pursuant to this Agreement shall make
such request to the emergency communications center of the assisting county, which will
then contact the appropriate county officials to determine its response.
8. That when a county elects to respond to a request for assistance, the
personnel making such response shall not become employees of the county requesting
assistance for the purposes of the Virginia Workers Compensation Act.
9. That when a county elects to respond to a request for assistance, the
personnel manning such responding units shall remain under the command of the senior
responding officer, and shall work as a unified company and shall not be split apart
during the emergency operations unless ordered by the senior responding officer.
10. That when a county elects to respond to a request for assistance and the senior
responding officer determines that the emergency operations are being conducted in an
unsafe manner, the assisting county may limit its assistance to a support service or
withdraw the assistance to ensure the safety of its personnel.
11. This Agreement may be modified only by the mutual written consent of both
counties.
12. This Agreement may be terminated at any time by either county giving thirty
(30) days written notice of termination to the other county.
IN WITNESS THEREOF, Albemarle's Chairman of the Board of Supervisors and
Rockingham's Chairman of the Board of Supervisors execute this Agreement, they being
authorized to do so.
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Item 5.2. Authorize County to participate in VDOT’s Revenue Sharing Program for Fiscal Year
2000-01.
It was noted in the staff’s report that VDOT’s Revenue Sharing Program provides an opportunity for
the County to receive up to an additional $500,000 for road improvements. The program requires a dollar-
for-dollar match by the county. The result is a total commitment of up to $1.0 million toward improvements
to the local road system. The County has participated in this program since 1988. The County’s match is
allocated in its Capital Improvements Plan (CIP).
The County must formally request participation in the 2000-01 program by March 24, 2000. The
funds for FY 2000-01 would be used for improvements to Old Ivy Road from Route 250 to the Route 29
Bypass. VDOT and County staff will use the next year to conduct a study of this project’s feasibility and be
prepared to make a recommendation regarding this project in next year’s Six-Year Secondary Road Priority
Plan update. This project has been delayed due primarily to the complications of dealing with the CSX
Railroad underpass. If the Board should decide not to proceed with this project, the funds could be
transferred to the next eligible project next year. Staff recommends that the County participate in the
Program, that a total of $500,000 for the Old Ivy Road Improvement Project (to be matched with available
County CIP funds) be requested, and that the Chairman be authorized to sign a letter notifying VDOT of the
County’s intent to participate in the program.
March 8, 2000 (Regular Night Meeting)
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By the recorded vote set out above the Chairman was authorized to sign a letter notifying
VDOT of the County’s intent to participate in VDOT’s Revenue Sharing Program for FY 2000-01 in
the total amount of $500,000.
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Agenda Item No. 6. PUBLIC HEARING to receive comments on the County Executive's recom-
mended Operating Budget for FY 2000-2001. (Notice of this public hearing was published in the Daily
Progress on February 27 and February 29, 2000.)
Mr. Martin said the County Executive would give a brief overview of his proposed budget.
Mr. Tucker said the budget is actually a fiscal road map for the next fiscal year. It gives an
opportunity to set the priorities which the community feels are important. In his presentation he intends to
show how much the County has grown over the past 12 years and the items which are budget “drivers” of
the proposed budget.
Mr. Tucker said Albemarle County is the sixth largest county, area wise, in the Commonwealth.
There are 81,600 residents, so it is now ranked eleventh in population. The fastest growing sector of the
population is the 65 and older category. The County is growing at about two percent per year, or 1500 new
residents each year. The population is quite diverse being divided into urban, suburban and rural
neighborhoods. During this past 12 years, the population has grown 33 percent, police calls have
increased 111 percent, participation of children in organized sports has increased 64 percent, the number
of schools has increased 41 percent, the number of school students (3000) has increased 37 percent, the
number of children in foster care has increased 300 percent, and, debt service (funded seven new schools
over these same 12 years) has increased 347 percent.
Mr. Tucker said revenues in the proposed budget are estimated to be about $158.5 million. That is
an increase of $12.0 million over the current budget, or 8.2 percent. Revenues are composed of mostly
property taxes (both real and personal property) at 45 percent. Other local revenues amount to 22 percent,
with State revenues being at 24 percent. School Operations account for the largest part of expenditures at
56 percent with General Government at 27 percent, the Revenue Sharing Agreement with the City of
Charlottesville at four percent, debt service at six percent, capital expenditures at two percent, and School
self-sustaining programs at five percent.
Mr. Tucker said population and enrollment growth, mandated programs and required services,
public safety, urban infrastructure and market conditions are all budget drivers. He then explained each of
these categories (see paperwork on file in the Clerk’s Office).
Mr. Tucker said the public can get involved in the budgeting process by attending the two public
hearing which are scheduled, and making comments.
(Note: Mr. Bowerman arrived at the meeting at 7:10 p.m.)
Mr. Martin explained the Board’s rules for speaking at this meeting saying each speaker will be
allowed three minutes in which to make his comments. Her will be operating the timer clock. The public
hearing was then opened.
Ms. Patricia Napoleon said she is a life-long member of the community, a taxpayer and a veteran
teacher in the Albemarle County School System. She said there are dedicated teaching professionals in
the School System, and their organization has recently been burdened by pressures to lure new teachers
and create costly staff development opportunities. In the process, the “powers that be” have lost sight of
their responsibility to provide fair compensation for all employees. They do not believe the School System
should put large amounts of money into the recruitment effort at the expense of the faculty and staff already
in place. She said several members of the School Board pointed out the inequity of reducing veteran
teacher pay. Experienced teachers at the peak of their teaching careers should not be penalized with less
than fair incremental raises. In the past, classified employees have borne the brunt of the budget cuts.
These faithful employees, who often work for no long-term benefits truly put their souls into their jobs and
they are not being treated fairly in many respects. Ms. Napoleon said the moneys we have must be
balanced more effectively. She thinks all Central Office staff members should offer to conduct staff
development activities for teachers. Those in positions of leadership should be the most effective teaching
models. This assistance would lower costs for the County. She said it is unfortunate that the “die had been
cast” as to the allotment of money before this meeting began tonight. Her disappointment is not with the
Board, but with those who have created an unfair budget proposal prior to tonight. She suggested looking
to the future for better management of the budgetary process before wholesale cuts are made at the
expense of classified employees and veteran teachers.
Mr. Brian Wheeler said he is the parent of a second grader at Murray Elementary. He is frustrated
that the County has not better supported the children. Last September when his seven-year old entered
school, he found that she would be in a class of 27 students, and that due to rigid staffing and budget
formulas that would not change, and was likely to continue for every year she would be attending Murray.
Mr. Wheeler said he has spent the last five months educating himself about the budget process.
He has learned that there is a history of class-size problems and a scarcity of resources in the elementary
schools. He has learned that the SOLs are forcing the administrators to focus on making sure all students
meet a minimum standard at the expense of those students who might be able to set a new standard if they
March 8, 2000 (Regular Night Meeting)
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had the resources. He agrees with the School Board’s funding request and believes the Board of
Supervisors should support it in full.
Mr. Wheeler said some will be skeptical about the Slabaugh report. There are going to be many
challenges in recruiting, retention and retirement. In his job he has had first-hand experience with the tight
labor market and the challenge of trying to convince University students to stay in Charlottesville to start
their careers. He said the teachers know how little they make compared to other college-educated
professions. They can compare base salary rates in Albemarle with other localities and they see the harsh
reality that Albemarle is lagging behind.
Mr. Wheeler said some might complain that the School Board presented an unbalanced request.
In the face of the serious problems which require millions more in revenue, he believes the School Board
would have been reckless had they submitted a needs-based budget request. At a public hearing in
February, a citizen suggested that the School Board pursue all who are willing to pay more in taxes to
support the schools. He presented Chairman Charles Ward with a check for $75.00 that night. He said
that check was not big enough. More than $75.00 a year is needed from a family like his to pay for better
schools, but not much more. A five-cent tax increase would cost the average homeowner only $88.00 a
year and would contribute almost $2.0 million to the School System. He then handed to Mr. Martin a check
in the amount of $32.10 and urged the Board to support the School’s budget request and to raise the taxes
back to their 1987 levels to pay for it.
Mr. Tim Frazier said he is the principal at Murray Elementary and is present to speak as co-chair of
the County’s Building Level Administrators Association. Over the past few years, each budget cycle has
been overshadowed by growth issues. Again this year it is projected that there will be an additional 200
students. In order to keep the increases in the School budget to a minimum, they have restructured the
schools’ operating schedules, developed differentiated staffing formulas, reduced the number of building
improvements and level-funded the schools. During this time, schools have become dependent on PTOs
and booster clubs to provide funding for things such as library books, plants and shrubs, cafeteria tables,
computers, sports uniforms, travel costs for trips, and other things that used to come from County funds.
Schools have made do with older technology, furniture, copy machines and AV equipment. The rising cost
of materials has cut directly into limited school budgets. Classroom materials for the seven-period day and
many of the special materials needed for preparing students for SOL testing have come from those same
fixed budgets. Many schools are paying for small capital improvements from these fixed budgets. Today,
there is no place to go.
Mr. Frazier said in looking at the employees’ salaries in the Schools, there is a need to look at
salary issues facing classified employees. The major discrepancies between classified employees’ salaries
and where they should be based on market value makes it harder and harder to recruit and retain classified
employees. With the current unemployment rate, there is not the number of applicants, qualified or not,
that there was five years ago. With a smaller pool of applicants to choose from, and salary ranges below
the market value, and with people having more choices for employment, finding qualified people has
become difficult and many times impossible. In addition, the School System now is trying to keep from
losing classified employees to private sector jobs, which can offer higher salaries. The lack of qualified
applicants and not being able to retain qualified employees does affect the smooth operation of the
schools.
Ms. Susan Bressenk said she is the parent of a second-grader at Stony Point Elementary. She
said that several years ago, the Board of Supervisors made a decision not to fund the growth in the School
System, requiring School employees to find funding elsewhere. She said Stony Point has an excellent staff
of grant writers and they look throughout the Internet to find small grants for the school. She said the
School System is not able to attract the best and brightest college graduates today to the teaching
profession. To date, Albemarle County has offered 34 contracts for next year. Only 14 of those have been
accepted, and four were declined. She said she has often told her child that it is a privilege to live in
Albemarle County and in the beauty it offers. She likes to remind him daily that with privilege comes
responsibility. She asked the Board to remember its responsibility to the parents and the teachers and the
citizens of Albemarle County. Ms. Bressenk then quoted some statistics for Stony Point School comparing
the year 2000 to the year 1991 to show how the amount of teaching staff has been lessened. She asked
that the Board consider the School Budget in depth to see what is being provided. She does not think the
Board has provided well.
Ms. Stacy Walker said she has a second and third grader at Stony Point Elementary. She said at
this time Albemarle County is paying little, and that is what the children are getting, very little. This is sad
considering the wealth that exists in the County. She said County schools are overcrowded, the teachers
are underpaid, and the schools are lagging behind the progress that others are making. They are doing
little more than retaining the current dismal status. Out of 15 elementary schools, 11 are over capacity and
the others are at 90 percent capacity or more. She has a third grader in a class of 28 children. Parents at
several schools want to alleviate the overcrowding and get rid of the current trailers. She said the real
problem is that Albemarle County is dragging its heels when funding growth. The only way to circumvent
this problem is to build new schools in a timely manner with the projected growth. She feels growth must
be funded in the 2000-01 year, and every year thereafter. She feels the amount the School Board has
requested is minimal to actual needs. Ms. Walker said there is a critical teacher shortage. The County
needs to attract quality teachers and in order to do so must pay a fair salary so these teachers can support
themselves in this area which has one of the highest costs-of-living in Virginia. She said if the County wants
the best teachers it must pay for the best. She feels the current staffing formula for the schools is
ridiculous. Up until now, the Martha Jefferson Hospital has funded the school health clinicians. This will not
be the case next year, and there are no funds appropriated in the budget for this expense, so an integral
March 8, 2000 (Regular Night Meeting)
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part of the school staff will be lost. She said the County needs to remedy these situations. It cannot ignore
this anymore. Sooner or later, the County will have to pay for previous mistakes.
Ms. Margie Shepherd said she is a teacher and the mother of four girls in the public school system,
a taxpayer and homeowner in Albemarle County. She said the annual budget slashing session is in full
force, and she wonders what is the purpose of holding back on the needs of the people of Albemarle
County. She asked who chose cheap since it does not equal good. She said an increase on the tax rate of
twenty-five cents would put Albemarle County in line with comparable counties and it would get the schools
the literacy program, the strings, foreign language, the courthouse, and the Board could take care of the
workers and children of Albemarle County. She asked the Board to show some spine and raise the
revenues which are needed to do what needs to be done in Albemarle County.
Ms. Kristen Rembold said she believes the schools need full funding. There are many mandated
items in the budget such as special education, but there is not enough funding for the rest of the students
unless the schools receive full funding. The additional school items address the needs of average students
and wishes of the community. If the middle class base of support for the schools is lost, the schools in the
whole community will become impoverished. Reshuffling County priorities might fund the additional
amount needed for the School budget, but if taxes needs to be raised, what better way to spend money
than on the future of the community? It sends a different message about what the community stands for as
contrasted to raising taxes for a jail.
Ms. Rembold said she would like to mention six items on the School Board’s list of additional
expenses. First, a string orchestra. She is a member of a parent booster group which has been promoting
this initiative in the County schools and is now involved with fund-raising. She has received word that the
Schools have been issued a challenge grant by the Charlottesville-Albemarle Community Foundation.
Some of the instrument purchases will be funded by that group if Phase II of the strings initiative is passed
as part of the budget. She asked that this opportunity for a partnership not be passed by. Two, Governor’s
School funding. She said this group of students, the gifted, is severely under-served by the school system.
The ratio of special education funding to gifted funding is staggeringly unfair. These are the children who
are reading chapter books in kindergarten while the teacher works on the alphabet with the rest of the
class. There are fifth grade students who can solve math problems the teacher can’t solve. These
students are given extra homework, and are used as helpers in the classroom. Often, they are not taught
since there is no funding for this teaching. She understands there is state participation in the funding for the
Governor’s School program. It is not just another unfunded mandate, so why not fund it now? Finally, she
said that class size and teacher compensation are topics that need to be addressed, particularly class size
for the average and above average students. She said that teacher compensation needs to be addressed
since even with a full increase, teachers are not being paid what they deserve. She urged the Board to fully
fund the School budget for 2000-01.
Ms. Stephanie Gentry-Reynolds said she is a fifth-grade teacher at Stone Robinson Elementary
School. She will address two issues, the teacher shortage and teacher compensation. She said some in
the community feel that teacher stipends are a hearty supplement to pay. Her stipend position as an
elementary teen leader takes about 160 hours per school year. She is paid $1000 per year for this position,
or $6.25 per hour before tax deductions. She said some in the community feel that looking at average
salaries is adequate when analyzing the pay scale. Albemarle County has an experienced teaching force
and many of them will soon be retiring. The disproportionately high number of teachers between the ages
of 47 and 52 not only creates a demand for many replacements, but it also skews the average teacher
salary. When these teachers leave, the average pay will plummet. Averages don’t recruit teachers,
salaries do. She said the Superintendent’s proposed 4.25 percent increase falls short of the compensation
consultant’s recommended 5.7 percent increase. These compensation issues are directly related to the
teacher shortage. The pay scale must be kept competitive at all levels to attract and retain people who are
currently teaching, but people need to be attracted into the teaching profession in the first place. For
children, the most important element in the classroom is the teacher. She asked that the Board fully fund
the School Board request for funds so compensation and other pressing school needs can be addressed.
Ms. Lea Anne Harrell said she is the Co-President of the Meriwether Lewis School PTO. The PTO
applauds the School Board for passing the budget by a vote of 5:2. They now appeal to the Board of
Supervisors to continue responding to their needs. This means that the budget, as presented by the School
Board, must be passed. They support a pay raise for the teachers as contained in level one of the budget.
Additionally, they urge the County to provide for the students by funding the following essential items. 1)
Approve the class size emergency relief fund. 2) Fund growth. 3) Acknowledge basic needs by funding a
school nurse for each County school. She said excellent education demands nothing less than approval of
the proposed budget in its entirety. She then asked that anyone in the audience who supported her
statement stand to be recognized.
Ms. Edith Peoples said she wished to speak about the merit pay plan now used by the County as a
measuring tool for raises for its classified personnel. The 1996-97 school year saw the demise of the step
pay scale for classified employees. What remained was merit pay. If salary is the scale on which one’s
worth is measured, this is the least appreciated group of employees. She said these employees consider it
an affront to their intelligence that the County continues to use a process that was designed as an individual
bonus and is now the only way to receive a pay raise. She said no funds are ever available to initiate the
recommendations of consultant who have been employed to rectify these inequities. The money paid for
these consultants could have been used toward these salary increases.
Ms. Peoples said that these classified personnel make the life of every teacher achievable. They
bring the students safely to school, supervise them before school starts, after it ends, as they eat breakfast,
March 8, 2000 (Regular Night Meeting)
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lunch and walk down the hallways to class. They teach and tutor them, give one-on-one instruction, help
with classwork and undone homework. They cook the meals and snacks students eat, wash the dishes,
clean the classrooms and restrooms. They take over classes at a moments notice, do the bookkeeping
and maintain student records. They make sure that buses, computers, copiers, videos, TVs, air and
heating units are in top working order. They cut grass, trim trees and keep sidewalks free of snow. They
change diapers, wipe noses, dry tears, administer meds, take temperatures, clean up after spills and
accidents when students become ill, give hugs and words of praise. They take students home with them so
the students don’t miss a field trip, give baths, shampoo hair, and at times even feed and clothe the
students.
Ms. Peoples said there are lot of these classified personnel missing at this meeting tonight, not
because they don’t care, but because they supplement their county salaries by working a second job. She
also does this, but chose to lose $50 in salary tonight because she has only realized a net gain of about $1
per day increase in salary over the past 16 years. She said these people deserve a pay scale that has a
step progression. “Merit” as used now, means nothing. Good employee service does.
Ms. Pat Morgan said she is a Teaching Assistant in K-1. She has been employed by the School
System for over ten years. She works five and three-quarters hour per day. She also works 182 days per
day which makes her a 10-month, part-time employee. You cannot find her salary on the pay scale. Only
the twelve month, eight-hour per day employees are listed. According to her Albemarle County Employee
Action Authorization, her pay grade step has been the same since 1996. It is a 5A and has not moved up at
all in four years. From 1996 to 1997 she received a 33¢ increase in pay per hour. In 1998, she received a
32¢ increase in pay, and in 1999, she received a 31¢ increase in pay. That totals 96¢ over a four-year
period. If it were not for the merit pay, there would be no increase in pay.
Ms. Morgan said she has received 100 percent on her evaluations each year. Most of them go
above and beyond their job descriptions to make this happen. With the SOLs this year there has been a
greater demand on the teachers and this reflects on all of them. With a 100 percent evaluation, she thinks
there should be an increase in pay greater than what she has been receiving, and a raise in her pay scale
step. She asked where the fairness is in the pay scale system and merit pay. The merit pay was designed
to reward a job well done. She said they used to get a pay raise and a bonus check, which was the merit
pay for a great evaluation. She asked that the County go back to giving fair pay raises.
Ms. Kathy Verell said she is the parent of three school-aged children and she teaches at Henley
Middle School. She said the biggest question in this discussion of the School budget is whether the County
can continue to provide quality education without funding growth. What reasonable, logical person would
not agree that a quality school system should have a class size emergency relief fund, or should offer
competitive wages to its employees. She asked if there is a rational person present tonight who does not
agree that a quality school system provide funding necessary to support literacy initiates mandated by the
State. She said you don’t need logic to realize that a quality school system would pay the TAs more
money. The question is, is a quality school system wanted? The enlightened minds would allow that a
community pays for its services with tax revenue. If quality education is to be supported, the Board must
take a leadership role and recommend a tax increase. Increasing the tax rate by five cents would generate
almost $2.0 million and take the County back to the rates of the middle 1980s. She asked if the Board
wants a quality school system.
Mr. Bob Pianta said he is the parent of three children in the County schools. He strongly urges the
Board to demonstrate its leadership in support of the children in the County and fully fund the budget
request of the School Board, not the recommendation of the County Executive. Some members of the
School Board and the Board of Supervisors are concerned over how the budget is constructed and have
indicated that concern by voting against the current School Board proposal. This approach holds the
School Division and every child in the County hostage because of bureaucratic issues. He feels this is the
worst reason to vote against the proposed budget. The County has been trying to keep the budget as flat
as possible year to year incorporating the expenses of growth in the body of the operating budget while
keeping pressure on salaries and everything else to stay below the rates of inflation. He said Albemarle
County is penalized by the State because of its ability to pay. He said the State of California conducted this
experiment over the past twenty years and their schools have dropped from among the top in the Nation on
standardized test scores to almost last. He said the effects of this experiment in Albemarle County will be
seen eventually.
Mr. Pianta said the Board of Supervisors and the School Board must assume the responsibility of
leadership in terms of advocating for the needs of the children in the County. Maintaining a tight control
over fiscal resources is not a bad goal, but it is not the only goal. The Board also has influence over the
development of human capital in the County. On this score, the Board is failing in terms of leadership. In
1993, the citizens of Minneapolis voted in a tax increase to fund all-day kindergartens and pre-schools. The
vast proportion of the citizens voting on the increase did not have children in the schools. Their leaders had
a vision for supporting human capital and took the risks to do so. Recently published reports indicate that
pre-school programs, such as the Bright Stars Program, contribute seven points to children’s standardized
test scores. In Albemarle, the Bright Stars Program has children reading on grade level 2 by the second
grade.
Mr. Pianta said the arguments made to cut the budget are about having fat and waste in the
budget, and these arguments are divisive and just pit people against one another. He feels the community
should focus on what can be done to support the children. The search for “waste” is fiction and if it is
applied to the School budget then it must also be applied to every line in the County budget. He said he
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was following Mr. Wheeler’s example by contributing his share of the tax increase, and he handed the
Chairman a check.
Ms. Marla Muntner said she is a fourth grade teacher at Stone Robinson Elementary School, and
President of the Albemarle Education Association. She is speaking tonight on behalf of school employees.
They ask for the Board’s support of the School Board’s request for funds for a number of reasons: growth,
the upcoming retirement of the experienced teaching force, the changing needs of schools, and the
changing expectations for the school children. She said the days are gone when Albemarle County had
stacks of applications for vacancies, and when the students needed only the three “Rs” to succeed as
adults. Now, students must meet SOL requirements, be proficient in technology and must excel at
teamwork in order to succeed. The two most important factors affecting student success are class size and
quality educators. Today, Albemarle County competes not only with surrounding districts and Virginia
districts for teachers, but because of increased opportunities for women in the workforce, it competes with
other professions as well. The community and nation must realize that the people who teach must receive
a wage which reflects the importance and difficulty of their work. Other school districts in Central Virginia
are leading the way to these changes. Even rural Fluvanna County has proposed a nine to twelve percent
pay increase for teachers.
Ms. Muntner suggested looking at other things which are changing. The Virginia Department of
Education ranks school districts according to their capacity to pay for schools and their effort toward the
schools. She displayed a chart indicating the County’s ability to pay. She said the rank and effort toward
schools is dropping fast and it is nowhere near the County’s ability to pay. She asked that the Board
support the School Board’s request and stand in support of proper funding for education in Albemarle
County.
Ms. Charlotte Horton said she is a teaching assistant at Scottsville Elementary School. She has
worked for the County School System for ten years. For the past five years she has observed the budget
process and has never seen or heard a serious discussion on the salaries of the lowest paid employees of
the School System. She is speaking for the 800+ classified (educational support personnel) employees in
the school system. She said this group makes up between 40 and 50 percent of the school’s workforce.
They share in the welfare of the over 12,000 children in their care every day for six to ten hours. She said
many of these people live and vote and pay taxes in Albemarle County. Many have children and grandchil-
dren in Albemarle County schools, and they do not want their tax dollars wasted, but they want the best
education that money can buy. The County and the nation are experiencing an unparalleled economic
boom. Every employer across the nation is finding it hard to find qualified employees to fill job vacancies,
yet the lowest paid school employees continue to get the lowest percentage of salary increase despite their
job evaluations and their level of performance on the job. At this time, their salaries are running eight to
twelve percent below market value. She thinks it would make sense to give consistent, across-the-board
salary increases. She asked the Board to consider not only the needs of the children in their education, but
also to consider the needs of all school personnel.
Ms. Martha Redinger said she has three children. Her youngest child is in a classroom of 28
children at Murray Elementary. Her eldest sons are in high school. She said it is high time that the Board of
Supervisors prepared, planned and paid for growth in Albemarle, off the top. Then, the School Board could
do its job and fund the needs of the students and the needs and requirements of the teachers. She is
present tonight because the schools are in the middle of a five-year plan to implement a string orchestra
program. From the turnout at their last meeting, it is clear that the community is in support of this enhanced
music program in the schools. Students who are accomplished orchestral musicians are not allowed to
compete in the State of Virginia along with others if they are from Albemarle County schools. This program
is not only a request but a necessity.
Ms. Redinger said the Parents for Orchestra is a group of volunteers involved in fund-raising and
grant writing. They have found that Albemarle is eligible for grant money for a start-up program, and
contributions are tax deductible. They are trying to fund the start-up costs such as instrument purchases,
music and related equipment. Next year every middle school will offer string orchestra in Phase II of the
five-year program. The County General budget will offer string orchestra so the three high schools will
include symphony orchestra instruction. She said she is thrilled for the children who will follow hers and
benefit from this sound investment. Like athletics, she thinks that in some cases, music saves lives. On
March 25, she plans on raising about $2000 for the elementary school PTO as a race director for a 5K fun
run. It is open to the community. On March 31, Parents for Orchestra is having a fund-raising event with
music by both professionals and amateurs. She asked the Board to provide the funds necessary to sustain
the schools in programs like this.
Ms. Laura Laffond said she is a member of the Broadus Wood PTO and County taxpayer and
parent of three children in Albemarle schools. She is requesting that the Board of Supervisors fully fund the
School Board’s budget request. High quality teachers cannot be recruited on the meager starting salaries
presently offered when other communities are willing to pay them what they deserve. She would like to see
the County recruit their first choice candidates and she would like for the County to retain the good teachers
already in the system with adequate compensation. She said teachers are expected to be everything to the
students during the school day. Teachers are held accountable for the academic achievement of the
children, but the County does not have the ability to recruit and retain the best teachers. She commended
the teachers at Jack Jouett who send her weekly updates on her child. In addition to increased salaries,
she also supports the funding of multi-year initiatives and additional class size emergency relief teachers.
However, she believes the County should be responsible for the $1.0 million needed to address growth
needs in the School System over the next year. The School Board should not be expected to fund
adjustment for growth as the result of additional housing in Albemarle County. She is willing to have her
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(Page 8)
taxes reasonably increased to pay for an excellent school system and other support systems in the County.
She also supports having developers pay additional fees to help cover the cost of growth.
Mr. Lance Weiserd said he is a teacher at Albemarle High School. He started there in 1983. He
has not had a serious pay increase since 1993 so this must mean he has not done his job, and he
apologizes. He has coached in addition to teaching. He has given as much effort as he can give to make
Albemarle’s the best system possible. He is lucky to have the hardworking students that he has in his
classes, but for the first time in his career he is looking elsewhere for a job. He has lost truly great teachers
as friends. You cannot build a school system on first, second and third year teachers. He said there are
dozens of teachers at Albemarle High School with ten to twenty years of experience who are looking
elsewhere. If he chooses to stay, he is only as good as those people around him. They are all part of a
whole. He asked the Board to make the decision to fund not just what the School Board has offered, but to
fund and give raises to all of the teachers.
Ms. Bonnie Drumm said she is speaking merely as a taxpayer and as the grandparent of a child at
Stony Point Elementary School. For decades she has been interested in the best possible education for all
children in Albemarle County. She said School funding is of primary importance because it is the largest
item in the County budget and because the amount of money designated to the School Board does not
balance with their request, She is speaking as a taxpaying widow, without survivor benefits, owning and
operating a farm in the northern part of the County. She is willing to have her taxes increased if it is
necessary to pay the proper salaries for the teachers, and the School Board and administration have used
all the money-saving devices possible to provide superior education for all of Albemarle’s children. She
asked if the schools practice early intervention. If deficits are not corrected very early, the gap widens so
that child may never catch up and become a possible school dropout later. She asked what the schools
are doing to narrow the gap in academic achievement between the have and the have-nots, the poor and
the rich, the blacks and the whites, the inner city and the suburbs. She asked if the Schools use all of the
free help they can use.
Ms. Patricia Gaesser said she has two children at Henley Middle School. She said that having the
educational future of 150 children on your shoulders day-in and day-out is an enormous responsibility. The
role of a teacher, next to parenting, is the most important job in the world. She asked why teachers are not
paid as well as people in other professions. She wonders if those people in the community who continually
criticize the school system ever look at the big picture. She supports pay increases for teachers. She is
also in favor of a substantial increase in financial support for the School Division in order to fund many of
the unfunded priorities in the proposed budget such as textbook replacement. She said Albemarle County
should be a leader and set a standard for other districts throughout Virginia when it comes to allocating
money to the School System, but every year, the teachers and principals manage to get by on limited funds.
She feels it is time to provide a competitive increase in teacher salaries, particularly at the entry level. The
cost-of-living in Albemarle is the second highest in the state, yet the County ranks 70th out of 132 school
divisions in starting teacher salaries, while Albemarle’s school enrollment ranks as 20th largest in the State.
The appeal of living in this area will not be enough to attract the best and the brightest of the new teachers
when one-third of the teacher workforce retires in another five years. Who will teach the children then?
Ms. Gaesser said she is only talking about basic needs to keep up with growth, the cost-of-living,
Virginia State mandates, rising gas prices, aging buses, aging textbooks and aging teachers. She would
support a real estate tax increase to finance all of the unfunded priorities in the School budget. A one-cent
increase on the tax rate would yield $380,000 more a year for schools. This would cost the owner of a
$150,000 home just $15.00 more a year which is only one pizza and two video rentals. She would gladly
give up one pizza and two video rentals a year to provide more tax revenues for the schools.
Mr. Doug Trout said he is present on behalf of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities which
supports and promotes the Virginia Festival of the Book. He thanked the Board for its continued support of
the Festival which will be held again this year from March 22 through March 26. He said that over 200
programs have been scheduled for this year covering ages from three to 100. The Festival is expected to
attract between 15,000 and 20,000 book enthusiasts from throughout Virginia and across the country. He
said the Festival is a boom for Charlottesville’s and Albemarle’s economy. In six short years, the Festival
has grown from a local get-together to a major mid-Atlantic festival which is considered a premier book
event by authors, publishers and book enthusiasts throughout the country. They seek continuing funding
through the 2001 budget, and hope the Board considers the requested increase. He said he is a 28-year
old home renter with no kids, but he would not mind paying a couple of hundred dollars extra for the
teachers either.
Ms. Chris Garland said she is with the Jefferson Area Board for Aging and is also a County
resident. She thanks the Board for its continued support of JABA. She, along with other staff members and
some clients, is here tonight to ask the Board to add $5190 to JABA’s request for their Geriatric Assessment
and Intervention Team Program. The GAIT program provides nursing services in Southern Albemarle,
specifically at the Scottsville and Esmont Senior Centers. GAIT was started three years ago with a grant
from the Virginia Healthcare Foundation, but that grant will end in June. JABA started GAIT because they
found a gap in services for frail seniors. Also, even though these people have Medicare insurance, they do
not have access to primary care services in the rural parts of the County. GAIT staff provides health
education, regular client screening and early identification. Because these services are preventive in
nature, they are not reimbursable by insurance companies, therefore the local hospitals have no incentives
to serve these individuals. This is where JABA disagrees with the reasoning of the Budget Review
Committee. Hospitals focus on acute care needs, and are under financial pressure. They are not in the
business to provide services which are not reimbursable. Another reason for the GAIT program is that
research in aging says the single key to maintaining independence as a person ages is maintaining their
March 8, 2000 (Regular Night Meeting)
(Page 9)
physical health. To date, the GAIT program has served 146 Albemarle County residents. During the last
fiscal year, staff had 454 client contacts. Some of their clients are present tonight, and will speak later.
There were many more who would have come except for the lateness of the hour and the distance they
would have traveled. On behalf of JABA, Ms. Garland asked the Board to add $5190 to their request so
they may continue to provide these health care services to the frail seniors living in the County. Without the
Board’s support, JABA will be faced with the possibility of having to end these services.
Ms. Virginia E. Bowen said she was present to speak about the GAIT program, and asked that it be
continued as far into the future as possible. She has had the use of the program, as well as 73 other
seniors in Scottsville. She is a volunteer at the Scottsville Senior Center and does the cooking. She is one
of the frail seniors who keep going because she cannot sit still. If it were not for the nurse practitioner who
comes to the Senior Center, her spirit would not be as good as it is today. She asked the Board to continue
this program. It is a very important program.
Mr. Clarence Mickens said he enjoys being in the Senior Center. It is doing a good job. He said
Trish is doing a good job and he enjoys being in the Senior Center with her.
Ms. Trish Higgins said she is a nurse practitioner. She works with seniors in southern Albemarle
County. Earlier in this meeting, Mr. Tucker noted that the over 65 age group is the most rapidly growing
segment of the population. This age group is a driving force in this community, as it is in the State of
Virginia, and it will continue to be. Besides the services noted earlier as being provided in southern
Albemarle, they also make home visits to individuals who are not able to get to the senior centers in an
effort to help them maintain their functional level, or even to increase it so they can come to the Senior
Center and enjoy the whole complement of services offered there. None of the individuals seen are eligible
for reimbursable services under Medicare or Medicaid definitions. She mentioned that she had a number of
testimonials from individuals who are not able to come to a night meeting, and handed same to the
Chairman. She invited the Board members to visit and see the program firsthand.
At this time (8:33 p.m.), the Board recessed and reconvened again at 8:48 p.m.
Mr. Martin called the meeting back to order. First to speak was Mr. Nick Evans who said that he is
a director of the Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District. He said that in January of this
year the County Engineering Department submitted a proposal for a multi-year program to develop detailed
knowledge of groundwater resources throughout the County in support of strategies outlined in Chapter 2 of
the County’s Comprehensive Plan. The proposed program is to be funded at the level of $65,000 per year
over six years.
Mr. Evans said that ensuring the adequacy and quality of the County’s water supply is integral to
protecting public health and the quality of life. Technical information is critical to developing informed public
policy on water. In the current fiscal year, a process of assembling basic water well data into the County’s
GIS system was begun. This was the necessary first step, but it is essential to continue the process in order
to develop the groundwater knowledge that is lacking. He urged the Board to fund the proposed groundwa-
ter program.
Mr. Paul Wright said he is a member of the Conservative Coalition. He will point out several things
which were not mentioned in Mr. Tucker’s statement. For example, he believes it is reasonable to point out
that since 1987, while the population has increased 30 percent, the budget has increase 140 percent. He
complimented Mr. Tucker for including salaries, and said the Conservative Coalition does support the
starting teachers’ salary increase of 8.5 percent and they believe it is justified because it was proven by
facts. Very little else is so proven. For example, the benefits which are in some cases higher than those in
surrounding counties, are included. He said that medical benefits are higher than many other localities.
The Slabaugh Morgan report, which many defend, is significantly flawed. Surrounding counties not
included are Buckingham, Orange and Fluvanna. He asked why they were not included. But, Prince
William, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Loudoun counties, and Northern Virginia were included. He said that
retention of teachers has been often mentioned. He said of 1000 teachers in the County’s retention report,
there was a 93 percent retention rate. Eight were lost to other school systems in Virginia, and three went to
other states. That is only a one percent lose to other systems. Of the 140 teachers hired last year, 29
came from the University of Virginia, 20 came from James Madison University, 13 came from Mary Baldwin
and fifteen other universities. They came from 22 different states and one foreign country. He said that for
every one teacher lost to another system, the County gained six. Mr. Wright said that if there is a teacher
shortage, he would like for it to be proven. He wants to know how the County will suffer this teacher
shortage. He has been reading literature and can find no data to support that statement.
Mr. Christopher Lee said he lives in the Scottsville District and is a representative from the
Charlottesville-Albemarle Chamber of Commerce which has tracked the budget for the last three years.
He said they noted that the total County budget increased 8.2 percent this year, a ten percent increase in
General Government and a 7.2 percent increase in the School Division. He said this increase is more than
enough to fund the budget priorities and cost-of-growth adjusted for inflation. The population growth has
been 2.2 percent over the past five years, and the school population growth has been 2.3 percent over the
last five years. In the same time period, the amount of budget increases has been about seven percent.
The budget increase is more than enough to offset the cost of growth, and a tax increase is not justified.
The anticipated seven percent increase in the County’s real estate assessments for the year 2001 will
improve County finances alleviating the need to increase the tax rate on future budgets. While they deplore
the School Board’s recommendation of an unbalanced budget, the Superintendent’s budget does a good
job of identifying budget priorities. They support initiatives that improve the education of the workforce and
the lives of County’s employees. The Chamber supports: decent teacher salaries, career awareness
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(Page 10)
specialists, CATEC, and extended learning. They also support school construction since elementary
schools were over capacity by 508 students in 1999. The Chamber supports funding through grants.
Literacy Professional Development is identified as a program which could receive grant funding. ESL could
also receive grant funding. They feel this is an excellent way to fund special programs through private
funding. Public transportation is important, and the Chamber supports bus service along Route 29 North
and along Bus Route #5. They encourage the Board to look for new sources of revenue. The leasing of
Monticello High School this summer is an intelligent use of County resources to increase revenues. The
Chamber will be reviewing the budget in several areas to make specific recommendations so that savings
might be realized. Some of these areas include Community Development, Public Safety and Growth
Management Tools. The Chamber encourages the use of the private sector to find better and more
efficient ways to spend taxpayer moneys. They will follow the budget process in detail over the next month
and will speak at the next public hearing.
Ms. Martha Harris said the budget proposed by Dr. Castner and Mr. Tucker includes a 4.25 percent
increase for all teachers, and an 8.6 percent increase in beginning teachers’ salaries, and for all classified
workers a four-percent merit pool and an additional two percent pool for strategic adjustments to some
classifications. These figures do not include the additional increase that will be given each teacher who
stays for another year as they will move to the next step. This total increase is up to 8.6 percent. School
administrators will receive a total increase up to 6.2 percent and classified workers will receive increases up
to eight percent. These numbers are a contrast to what has been publicized in the media. These amounts
do not include contributions of 15.4 percent of total compensation that is contributed by the County to the
VRS Retirement Fund of which employees make no contribution, or the $3132 for health and dental
insurance paid annually on their behalf. These amounts were reportedly based on the compensation study
prepared by Slabaugh Morgan and White without benefit of the competitive bid process. This consultant
was hand picked by the County because of a current relationship and certainly could not be considered a
disinterested party in their evaluation.
Ms. Harris said Dr. Castner had said at a meeting in December that the School Division was having
difficulty with competitiveness and retention in both teaching and classified areas. She said the Recruit-
ment, Selection and Retention Report tells a different story. It is noted in that report that Albemarle County
had a retention rate of 93 percent this year. It does say the School Division is having difficult in recruiting
and retaining custodians, bus drivers, teacher assistants, food service workers, and computer technician
specialists. Salaries is only one of several reasons, and she agrees that these need to be increased.
However, every salary does not need to be increased when there is a problem in a few jobs. She said there
are no statistics to support a shortage of teacher applications for Albemarle County. What was cited in the
report was a decrease in student attendance at college fairs even though there were few people hired from
these college fairs. She said Albemarle ranks in the 91st percentile among counties and 81st percentile of
all localities for average salaries in Virginia. This ranking is from the Virginia Education Association.
Mr. Steve Koleszar said he is a member of the County School Board, but he speaks tonight as a
citizen and taxpayer. He has lived in the County for 18 years. The County has changed and the population
almost doubled. The County has changed from being rural to being suburban, but some of our thinking
has been slow to change. The Board of Supervisors has recognized the need for services in this urban
county, and done what had to be done to meet those needs. However, it has been done on a rural county
tax rate. The last few years there has been an increased demand for fire, police and education services.
The Board has stretched, deferred, economized, and that is not all bad, because better services are being
given for the same amount of money. The Schools can’t stretch, defer or postpone anymore. The citizens
must face the reality of who we are as a county. Along with the change in demand for services, the County
has changed. This is a new world in terms of education. What was acceptable in education ten years ago
is no longer acceptable. The standard of learning is about the worse students doing as well as the best
students did ten or twenty years ago. The best students are now competing against the best in the world.
The quality of education that is demanded in this County cannot be provided within existing revenues. This
is the reality that the Board of Supervisors must face. The services which are demanded cannot be
provided on a rural tax rate.
Mr. Bruce Copeland said he is a 75 year old senior representing a couple of senior groups. This is
a category that responds positively to the election message “no new taxes”. He is present to say that the
two groups have asked him to say tonight that they are prepared to take a significant increase in the
property tax rate in order to maintain and improve the educational system. He is a rather new resident of
Albemarle County and he believes the Board wants a top quality educational system. He believes the
Board does not increase taxes for fear of not being reelected. He said the people speaking before him
could give all kinds of data about comparisons, but, when comparing the tax rate to a pretty low base to
start with, percentages don’t mean that much. He came from a community (Evanston, Illinois) where he
paid four times the property tax rate for a house not nearly as nice as the one he lives in in Albemarle
County. That community had a world class school system and the people were willing to pay for it. He
believes change will come here in terms of the tax rate under one of two conditions. Either the Board
provide leadership and step out in front of the population or there will be some kind of political movement at
election time to elect people who are serious about that. He believes the Board is managing the budget
quite well, but does not have enough revenue to work with. As a last point, he said the citizens need to put
pressure on the state legislature because they are also falling back in terms of supporting the school
system.
Mr. Harold Pillar said he is the founder of a volunteer tax. He founded it in 1998 and at that time
had $2.00. He is glad to see that some people have contributed. Three people came tonight and
volunteered to pay the additional tax, and he thinks the Board is under an obligation to collect that money.
He said one of the speakers mentioned that he had 27 children in his classroom. Mr. Pillar said he
March 8, 2000 (Regular Night Meeting)
(Page 11)
graduated from high school in 1959, and he can divide 12,000 students by 1000 teachers and come up with
a ratio of 12 students per classroom. He thinks it is horrible that there is a classroom somewhere with 27
kids in it. If you divided 12,000 by 20 that would give 600 teachers, with 400 teachers somewhere else. Do
they not teach? Where are they? He has no explanation for it, and no one else has an explanation either.
He said that last fall when SOLs were questioned, the School establishment said that 40 percent of the
children were on the free lunch program. Now, six months later, it appears that Albemarle is the richest
county in the state. Those people who are getting free lunches still have to be considered when a tax rate is
proposed to be increased. Not everyone in this County is rich. Forty percent of the children in the schools
qualify for a free lunch, and to put a tax increase on these people is an abomination. In answer to a person
who asked about contributions to the schools, Mr. Pillar said he has donated band instruments to Albemarle
High School, he has donated encyclopedias, he has donated shrubs, and a lot of time. For almost 30 years
he has tutored children. He donated these things because he wanted to help children in his own conserva-
tive way.
Mr. Jeff Werner said he is an Assistant Coach of the Boys’ Lacrosse Team at Albemarle High
School, but is speaking as an ordinary citizen. He sympathizes with the concerns expressed by the parents
and the teachers. On top of the taxes paid by parents, each of the athletics in his program still pays $70 to
participate, and then each parent is charged to come and watch their son play, and their classmates are
also charged.
Mr. Werner said he also present to represent the Piedmont Environmental Council tonight. He said
the PEC supports funding for the Acquisition of Conservation Easements Program and encourages the
Board to consider the $1.0 million recommended by the County Executive as the bare minimum needed to
launch successfully this conservation initiative. Over one-third of this $1.0 million is projected to come from
the transient lodging tax, which must be used for projects that promote tourism. While PEC strongly
supports the use of these funds for ACE, it is concerned that relying on the lodging tax to fund this much of
the program leaves too little to protect land that should be conserved for reasons other than tourism. He
said the provisions of the ACE program will protect the rural character of Albemarle County, and the
program will work to protect the County’s proven economic asset, it’s natural beauty.
Mr. Joe Lieberman said he is a grandfather, although none of his grandchildren go to Virginia
schools. He is present to speak for the teachers and the schools. He knows the Board has many problems
to solve in terms of finances in the County. He realizes the difficulties that must be faced, not just in
Albemarle County, but throughout Virginia. The Board should educate the citizens about the Dillon Rule
and how the state has hamstrung communities all across Virginia and forced costs upon those communities
which they did not fund. In reference to schools, he taught for 27 years, or was supervisor, and then
lectured throughout the United States for five years to teachers. He has met teachers everywhere. He said
Albemarle has a very fine school system although it is working under difficult conditions imposed upon it by
the public. The public has imposed upon the schools new program after new program. The teachers do a
remarkable job, and he guesses that none of the Board members would want to teach in the classroom
today. Yet, the teachers stay. The fact that they do does not mean that the public has the right, morally or
ethically, to take advantage of them. These are important people in the community. The public schools in
America have made it possible for the population to take advantage of the kind of democracy, and the kind
of economic opportunities which are available. That is why he wanted to speak up for the schools. He has
been in many of the schools in the County and he knows the quality of what goes on in those schools.
Ms. Ruth Wadlington said she is Co-President of the League of Women voters. She said they are
strong supporters of good schools, but tonight she is speaking for two other items in the proposed budget.
First is funding for Engineering and Public Works to increase protection of critical groundwater and surface
water resources. Funding would provide for initiation of a critical multi-year hydro geologic study of six
watershed areas in the County. Not enough is known about groundwater in the rural areas where
development depends on this fragile source. A hydro geologic study will tell where there is sufficient water
for development forestalling the need to extend public utilities to rural areas, and will identify groundwater
recharge areas, as well as areas vulnerable to pollution. To meet the requirements of the new water
resources ordinances, Engineering needs at least one erosion and sediment control engineer to inspect
stormwater control facilities of new homes and subdivisions and to perform the annual inspection of existing
facilities. The LOWV’s second concern is for sufficient funding for the ACE Program. The League has
spoken previously in support of this program and continues to consider it an important tool in preserving and
protecting the irreplaceable natural, scenic and historical resources of the County. They urge the Board to
assure that the originally proposed amount of $1.0 million be made available for the program from general
funds and full use of tourism funds.
Ms. Tonya Brockett said she is a County resident and also the director of the Small Business
Development Center for the region. She came to express her disappointment at the lack of support for
small businesses in Albemarle County. Small businesses drive the regional economy. They comprise 99
percent of all the businesses in the County and the region, and those are businesses with less than 100
employees. Eighty-eight percent of these businesses have less than 20 employees. She said a large
majority of their client businesses in the County do not destroy large pieces of land in order to operate their
businesses and they do not consume a large amount of resources. The SBDC has been serving the small
business community for over ten years. It has seen more than 2500 clients for more than 11,500 one-on-
one free business consulting hours. If the SBDC stopped seeing Albemarle County residents, it would lose
33 percent of its clients base. For the most part, their clients are home-based businesses or small service
firms that do not occupy much of their resources. She said Albemarle County uses more of the resources
of the SBDC than all of the other eight counties that they serve, yet it is not willing to support the organiza-
tion that supports the County’s entrepreneurs. She asked the Board to reconsider its position, and offered
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(Page 12)
to provide any information the Board needs to make the decision. Without the County’s support, the SBDC
will be forced to reduce its staffing and thus its service to both the County and the region at large.
Ms. Mary Ann Dilbone said she is the mother of five children. As a single mother, she moved to this
area in 1984. As a taxpayer she supports education, the police department and social services. She asked
the Board to remember that Albemarle County does have elderly people, but they need the County as
much as they are needed, but the young children must not be forgotten. She has listened to teachers over
the past few weeks who are very unhappy. She does not believe any Board member would go home and
tell a child or a grandchild to become a teacher, and that is wrong. Her income is low and will continue to
be so, but as a homeowner she is willing to pay extra for all community services which include teachers,
policemen, social services, JABA, all parts of the community. She finds it difficult to listen to people
complain about money being spent poorly when they don’t have to worry about money. She worries about
money, but she also knows what is important. She know that if the young children are not educated, they
will not take care of us. She asked that her taxes be increased if it means that all her services will be there.
With no one else from the public rising to speak, the public hearing was closed at 9:28 p.m. Mr.
Martin thanked everyone who had come to this meeting tonight.
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Agenda Item No. 7. Other Matters not Listed on the Agenda from the Board.
There were no other matters mentioned at this time.
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Agenda Item No. 8. Adjourn to March 13, 2000, at 1:00 p.m.
With no further business to come before the Board, at 9:30 p.m., motion was offered by Mr.
Bowerman to adjourn this meeting to March 13, 2000. The motion was seconded by Ms. Humphris.
Roll was called and the motion carried by the following recorded vote:
AYES: Ms. Humphris, Mr. Martin, Mr. Perkins, Ms. Thomas, Mr. Dorrier and Mr. Bowerman.
NAYS: None.
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Chairman
Approved by the
Board of County
Supervisors
Date
Initials