Loading...
1963-05-29 ~AY 29, 196~. AN ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY SUPERVISORS OF ALBEMARLE COUNTY, VIRGINIA, FROM THE REGULAR MAY 16~ 1963~ MEETING, WAS HELD IN THE COURT HOUSE AT 10=O0 ~oMo ON THIS DATE WITH THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS PRESENT= MESSRS. JOHN Wo WILLIAMS, EDGAR N. GARNETT, H. ASHBY HARRIS, GEORGE C. PALMER, II, M. Y. SUTHERLAND~ JR. AND ROBERT THRAVES. ABSENT - NONE. OFFICERS PRESENT= COUNTY EXECUTIVE, ASST. COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND COMMONWEALTHIS ATTORNEY. PURSUANT TO NOTICE PUBLISHED IN THE DALLY PROGRESS IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW~ THE CHAIRMAN DISTRIBUTED COPIES OF THE PROPOSED 1963-64 BUDGET TO THOSE PRESENT AND THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE PROCEEDED TO EXPLAIN THE INCREASE~ AND DECREASES IN SAID BUDGET, FOLLOWED BY EXPLANATION BY MR. PAUL H. CALL, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS~ AS TO THE SCHOOLIS SHARE OF SAID BUDGET. THE CHAIRMAN THEN ASKED IF ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO BE HEARD IN THIS REGARD. FARLEY COX~ JR., PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTHSIDE ALBEMARLE ASSOCIATION~ APPEARED AND PRE- SENTED THE FOLLOWING PREPARED STATEMENT WHICH HE REQUESTED BE MADE A PART OF THE MINUTES OF THIS MEETING: "THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF ALBEMARLE COUNTY GENTLEMEN= THE MEMBERS OF THE SOUTH$1DE ALBEMARLE ASSOCIATION HAVE REQUESTED THAT~ AS THEIR PRESIDENT~ I BRIEFLY CONFIRM THE OPINIONS, SUGGESTIONS AND REQUESTS MADE IN THE MEETING YOU GRACIOUSLY ACCORDED THEM ON MAY 21. IT IS OUR FEELING THAT, FACED WITH A REDUCED TAX BASE RESULTING FROM RECENT ANNEXA- TION BY CHARLOTTESVILLE IT IS INCUMBENT ON THE COUNTY TO HOLD THE LINE ON THE AMOUNT OF ITS BUDGET. WITH S~ALLER TERRITORY AND POPULATION THE COUNTY SHOULD NORMALLY REDUCE RATHER THAN INCREASE ITS EXPENDITURES. ~HILE OUR TAX RATE ON REAL VALUES MAY COMPARE FAVORABLY WITH INFORMATION AVAILABLE FROM OTHER COUNTIES (WHICH BY THE WAY~ IS NOT ALWAYS STRICTLY COMPARABLE) IT IS ALREADY BURDENSOME PARTICULARLY WHEN TAKEN IN CONJUNCTION WITH EXISTING FEDERAL AND STATE LEVIES. THE COUNTY IS PRESENTLY REAPPRAISING REAL ESTATE--ONE OF OUR MEMBERS IS BEING ASSESSED A 50~ INCREASE IN VALUATION IN SPITE OF NO COMMENSURATE CHANGE IN BUILDINGS OR IMPROVEMENTS. IT SEEMS BOTH UNNECESSARY AND EXCESSIVE TO INCREASE OUR TAX RATE AT A MOMENT WHEN APPARENTLY APPRAISED VALUES ARE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY AUGMENTED. WHILE INCOME ON THE NEW APPRAISALS WILL NOT COME IN UNTIL NEXT YEAR~ IN THE MEANTIME THE COUNTY COULD WELL REDUCE EXPENSES AND USE ITS SURPLBS WHICH WE UNDERSTAND IS SOMETHING OVER ~200~000o THE FIGURES THAT HAVE BEEN READILY AVAILABLE ~e US ARE INCOMPLETE IN MANY RESPECTS. ~E DO NOT HAVE A STATEMENT OF COUNTY ASSETS~ WORKING FUNDS OR INDEBTEDNESS. NO SCHEDULE OF DEBT AND AMORTIZATION PROGRAM WAS PROVIDED. IT iS FELT THE CITIZENS OF ALBEMARLE SHOULD BE PERIODICALLY PROVIDED WITH FULL EXPLANATIONS OF EACH COUNTY ACTIVITY, THE SOURCES FROM WHICH FUNDS ARE DERIVED, AND THE OPERATING DATA OF EACH DEPARTMENT. THIS SHOULD INCLUDE SUCH ITEMS AS NUMBER OF PERSONNEL, DUTIES AND WORKING HOURS OF SAME~ SALARIES IN EACH CATEGO~,ETC. ON THE 21ST, WHEN SUGGESTING THAT ANY NON-ESSENTIAL EXPENSE BE ELIMINATED, WE MENTIONED AMONG OTHER POSSIBILITIES, THAT OF DISCONTINUING THE COORDINATOR OF CIVIL DEFENSE. IT IS INTERESTING TO READ iN THE NEW YORK T~MES OF MAY 24 THAT PORTLAND~ 0REGEN, A CITY OF FAR GREATER STRATEGIC EXPOSURE THAN ALBEMARLE COUNTY, HAS UNANI- MOUSLY DECIDED TO DO AWAY WITH ITS COORDINATOR OF CIVIL DEFENSE gND ALL HIS STAFF AND ACTIVITIES, ON GROUNDS THAT IN CASE OF NUCLEAR ATTACK NO EFFECTIVE DEFENSE IS POSSIBLE. THE COST OF PUPIL EDUCATION AND TRANSPORTATION HAS INCREASED SINCE 195~-60 FROM $244.05 TO $300.O0. THIS IS ROUGHLY $18 PER ANNUM OR OVER 7% EACH YEAR. ACCORDING TO THE MAY BULLETIN OF THE ~IRST NATIONAL CITY BANK, NEW YORK~ THE COSTOF LIVING IN THE U. S~ INCREASED DURING THESE YEARS BY LESS THAN 1.3~ PER ANNUM, DURING THE THREE YEARS AGGREGATING 3.8%. DURING THE SAME PERIOD WAGES IN THE U. S. WENT UP A TOTAL OF ~.9% OF LESS THAN 3% YEARLY. AS CAN BE SEEN, ALBEMARLE ~CHOOL COSTS ARE GOING UP MUCH FASTER THAN THESE NATIONAL RERC/NTAGESo OTHER OPERATING EXPENSES ARE SIMILARLY OUTSTRIPPING THE NATIONAL INFLATION OF COSTS, THE PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES A LIBRARY CONTRIBUTION UP NEARLY 30% COMP~ED TO 1962, COMPENSATION TO ASSISTANTS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE UP OVER 30% DURING TH/ SAME PERIOD~ ANDA GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSE OF $488,O00 COMPARED WITH $438~000 SPENT IN 1962, AN INCREASE OF OVER 5% EACH YEAR. THERE ARE DISCREPANCIES IN THE FIGURES PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL AUTHORITIES AND THOSE APPEARING IN THE COUNTY BUDGET. THAT OF THE SCHOOL IS $1,231,702 FOR COST OF IN- STRUCTION WHILE THAT tN THE COUNTY BUDGET IS $1~30,69~. SUCH LARGE DIFFERENCES CERTAINLY CALL FOR EXPLANATION. NO GOVERNMENT EVER HAS AS MUCH MONEY AS IT WOUL~ LIKE TO SPEND. WE FEEL ALBEMARLE SHOULD REALIZE THERE IS A TOLERABLE LIMIT TO ANY LEVY~ STARTING WITH THAT ON REAL ESTATE. IT SHOULD NOT BE ASKED TO CARRY AN UNREASONABLE SHARE OF THE COUNTY,S TOTAL EXPENSES. TO MANY OF US IT APPEARS THE LIMIT HAS ALREADY BEEN REACHED AND THAT ~T WOUL~ BE PREFERABLE F0R MANY REASONS T© CONSIDER A SALES TAX BEFORE LIGHTER INCREAS- ING PRESENT ASSESSMENTS OR REALTY TAXES. ~EANWHILE IT IS OUR REQUEST THAT YOU RE- STUDY YOUR BUDGET PROPOSALS~ ASKING EACH OF YOUR OPERATING DEPARTMENTS TO SHARPEN ITS PENCIL AND REDUCE EXPENDITURES SUBSTANTIALLY. ~E ALSO REQUEST THAT THE PGBLIC BE PROVIDED WITH MORE DETAILED AND UNDERSTNNDABLE FIGURES SO THAT AN INTELLIGENT ANALYSIS MAY BE MADE OF THE BUDGET BEFORE A FINAL DECISION IS MADE. MR. RAY KIDD OF SCOTTSVILLE ADVISED THAT THE SOUTHSIDE ALBEMARLE ASSOCIATION DID NOT REPRESENT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN THAT AREA. COMMUNICATION WAS RECEIVED FROM THE STONE-ROBINSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL REQUESTING THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO MAKE NO CUTS IN THE COUNTY SCHOOL BUDGET. MR. UANgON BIRCKHEAD SPOKE WITH REGARD TO ~$SESSEDTVALUES OF REAL ESTATE~ STATING THAT HE FELT IT VERY UNFAIR IN THAT THE SMALL LANDOWNERS WERE APPRAISED MUCH HIGHER THAN THE LARGER ESTATES. SOME OF THOSE SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF THE BUDGET) PARTICULARLY WITH REFERENCE TO THE SCHOOL BUDGET~ INCLUDED SUZANNE DICKE~S~ MRS. dAMES CASH~ MRS. ELLA SMITH~ ROY MELHALF, PHIL CONNELLY~ ~B CASTEEN~ BILL CARTER~ RAY KIDD~ CECIL MAUPIN~ CHARLES MARTIN AN~ MANY OTHERS. SOME OF THOSE EXPRESSING OPINIONS NOT ENTIRELY IN AGREEMENT WITH THE BUDGET INCLUDED ALAN ROSENKRANS~ dOHN SPROUSE~ NANCY LIADY, GARY dACKSON, HENRY PAGE~ WALTER YOUNG~ EDWIN SMITH AND SAM PAGE. AFTER A VERY LENGTHY DISC'USSION, THE CHAIRMAN ADVISED THAT FURTHER ACTION iN THIS REGARD WOULD BE DEFERRED UNTIL THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD TO BE HELD ON dUNE 20, 196}o ON MOTION~ THE MEETING ADdOURNED. CHA 1 MAN