At the request of readers and due to what appears to be some confusion by fellow citizens, what follows is a brief summary of the upcoming finalization of the County's Budget. The King George County Board of Supervisors will vote on the proposed FY2018-2019 budget shortly but it was felt that a more simplistic approach was needed to better explain how we got to where we are.
First, the Supervisors and County staff go through numerous work sessions to discuss where we're coming from historically, where we are now, and where we need to be in the future. If you need more detail on this process, I've included links below. For those wishing to boil that down further, I'll do my best.
The County needs your permission to spend money. They get your permission by proxy because you elected the Board of Supervisors to represent you. Because everything is done publicly and because we live in a democracy, they issue public notices to give you a chance to give your input. What many people don't realize though, is that this is the LAST time you can give your input on the budget. And in all reality, it's way too late to start speaking now. I'm not suggesting you shouldn't speak. You absolutely should. But by this point in time, if you have something you feel passionate about, you really should have been speaking up months ago. The bottom line here is, if you want to give input on the budget, start talking to your Supervisor now, and continue talking to them, so they're well informed by the next budget cycle.
When it comes to the dollars and cents of the budget, everybody wants the world but doesn't want to pay for it. Be it infrastructure, education, health care, or animal shelters, everyone wants or needs something. But nothing is free so we have to pay for it. Want to feel safe in knowing that if your house catches on fire that somebody will come put it out for you? You need to pay for that. Want your kids to get a good education? You need to pay for that. How do we pay for that? With taxes. And in the case of the the County, the current tax rate is $0.70 per $100 of assessed value. That's 70 cents per $100. So if your house is appraised at $320,100, you owe $2,240.70 in taxes per year. For you math nerds, the equation is below.
There has been some confusion about mandated items in the budget. As with any civilized society, there are rules. And when it comes to the County, there are certain things that are required to be provided. For example, the County is required to provide a free education to kids. We also need to provide services like law enforcement, fire and rescue, and numerous others that, you guessed it, cost money. But because these are mandated, there's no way to cut them from the budget.
Another sticking point for many people I've heard from is the debt reduction or debt mitigation plan. To my knowledge, this is the first time a County in Virginia has adopted such a plan. In my mind, that's a good thing. It shows forward thinking and a desire to do what's right for the citizens of the County. While I can see why my fellow neighbors don't want an increase in taxes, I feel that continuing to borrow money will only sink our hopes for a good future. I've discussed my theories with other, older, residents who have lived here longer than I and paid taxes longer than I and we all agree. The former leadership of the County spent too much money without collecting enough taxes to cover expenses. To put it more simply, they racked up a huge debt, kept taxes low, and then jumped ship before it started sinking. While we have no recourse to hold them accountable, we do have leaders in place now that can help us bail ourselves out of debt.
As with a budget of any level, it's complicated. That complex nature grows exponentially when politics are involved. But in my opinion, we need the tax rate where it is to live the life we want. And 70 cents is still a lot less than it was 20 years ago.
In conclusion, the County needs to hear from you, regardless of where you stand on the budget. They'll have a Special Meeting on Thursday May 24, 2018 at 5:30pm in the Board Room. Speak up if you have something to say. They're required to listen to you. With the County so far in debt, don't expect tax rates to go down anytime soon. Seeing as the tax rate in 1995 was 91 cents, I think anything less is an improvement. And remember, there's no such thing as a free lunch.
Tax Rate History:
Tax Rate Equation:
[assessed value] / 100 * 0.70 [current and proposed tax rate] = [total taxes due]
Example:
$320,100 / 100 * 0.70 = $2,240.70
First, the Supervisors and County staff go through numerous work sessions to discuss where we're coming from historically, where we are now, and where we need to be in the future. If you need more detail on this process, I've included links below. For those wishing to boil that down further, I'll do my best.
The County needs your permission to spend money. They get your permission by proxy because you elected the Board of Supervisors to represent you. Because everything is done publicly and because we live in a democracy, they issue public notices to give you a chance to give your input. What many people don't realize though, is that this is the LAST time you can give your input on the budget. And in all reality, it's way too late to start speaking now. I'm not suggesting you shouldn't speak. You absolutely should. But by this point in time, if you have something you feel passionate about, you really should have been speaking up months ago. The bottom line here is, if you want to give input on the budget, start talking to your Supervisor now, and continue talking to them, so they're well informed by the next budget cycle.
When it comes to the dollars and cents of the budget, everybody wants the world but doesn't want to pay for it. Be it infrastructure, education, health care, or animal shelters, everyone wants or needs something. But nothing is free so we have to pay for it. Want to feel safe in knowing that if your house catches on fire that somebody will come put it out for you? You need to pay for that. Want your kids to get a good education? You need to pay for that. How do we pay for that? With taxes. And in the case of the the County, the current tax rate is $0.70 per $100 of assessed value. That's 70 cents per $100. So if your house is appraised at $320,100, you owe $2,240.70 in taxes per year. For you math nerds, the equation is below.
There has been some confusion about mandated items in the budget. As with any civilized society, there are rules. And when it comes to the County, there are certain things that are required to be provided. For example, the County is required to provide a free education to kids. We also need to provide services like law enforcement, fire and rescue, and numerous others that, you guessed it, cost money. But because these are mandated, there's no way to cut them from the budget.
Another sticking point for many people I've heard from is the debt reduction or debt mitigation plan. To my knowledge, this is the first time a County in Virginia has adopted such a plan. In my mind, that's a good thing. It shows forward thinking and a desire to do what's right for the citizens of the County. While I can see why my fellow neighbors don't want an increase in taxes, I feel that continuing to borrow money will only sink our hopes for a good future. I've discussed my theories with other, older, residents who have lived here longer than I and paid taxes longer than I and we all agree. The former leadership of the County spent too much money without collecting enough taxes to cover expenses. To put it more simply, they racked up a huge debt, kept taxes low, and then jumped ship before it started sinking. While we have no recourse to hold them accountable, we do have leaders in place now that can help us bail ourselves out of debt.
As with a budget of any level, it's complicated. That complex nature grows exponentially when politics are involved. But in my opinion, we need the tax rate where it is to live the life we want. And 70 cents is still a lot less than it was 20 years ago.
In conclusion, the County needs to hear from you, regardless of where you stand on the budget. They'll have a Special Meeting on Thursday May 24, 2018 at 5:30pm in the Board Room. Speak up if you have something to say. They're required to listen to you. With the County so far in debt, don't expect tax rates to go down anytime soon. Seeing as the tax rate in 1995 was 91 cents, I think anything less is an improvement. And remember, there's no such thing as a free lunch.
Tax Rate History:
Tax Rate Equation:
[assessed value] / 100 * 0.70 [current and proposed tax rate] = [total taxes due]
Example:
$320,100 / 100 * 0.70 = $2,240.70
Budget Work Sessions:
- Citizen Budget Advisory Committee - Part 1
- Citizen Budget Advisory Committee - Part 2
- Citizen Budget Advisory Committee - Part 3
- Citizen Budget Advisory Committee - Part 4
- Citizen Budget Advisory Committee - Part 5
- Citizen Budget Advisory Committee - Part 6
- Citizen Budget Advisory Committee - Part 7
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