In the upcoming Augusta County Board of Supervisors public hearing on the proposed county budget, county leaders are once again understating revenues and overstating what will be spent.
While many could find this appropriately reassuring, the Board of Supervisors has used bad numbers to do bad things.
They have continuously presented anemic revenue estimates to justify unrequired tax increases. Since 2018, the Board has raised rates and added new taxes, without purpose. Not a single penny of the new revenue was spent on a budget item, all went to surplus.
The boosted tax rates and new levies include 50 percent more for meals and lodging. A $.05 rise in real estate and $.10 for personal property. They added a cigarette tax and received from the Virginia General Assembly the authority to add a fire tax.
While last year did see the real estate tax lowered by $.11, we all saw our tax bills increase. The assessments increased home values by 34 percent, but the tax rate was lowered by just 17 percent.
The new assessments created an illusion of new wealth being bestowed on property owners. But the associated higher tax bills took real money not non-spendable calculations.
The magnitude of the mismatches of revenue and obligation are found in the unheralded financial audits. Over the past five years, the audits have revealed “excess” revenue amassing to $130,296,297.
Evidence exposing the Board’s aggressive tax policy is found in Exhibit 1 of the audits. The funds residing there are defined by auditors as “…unrestricted or may be used to meet the government’s ongoing obligations to creditors and CITIZENS” (emphasis added). The audit of 2018 shows $36,958,335 (Exhibit 1) in unobligated funds. By the 2024 Audit this account had grown to $97,751,219 (Exhibit 1)
This enormous growth in excess budget revenue was accomplished with plans said to be so tight many justifiable requests had to go unfunded. Hmm, might their veracity be tainted with mendacity?
Tim Fitzgerald, the County Administrator, annually notes the Board’s compliance with a negotiated funding formula meant to share growth in property and local taxes evenly between the BOS and the Augusta County School Board.
From 2018 to 2024, those funds were enriched by $34,451,624. Education’s “split” was not 50 percent, but 23 percent, with just $7,932,873 headed their way. The fat cats got fatter with their $26,518,751 reward for being bad partners.
It is with these twin farces of tight budgets and fair treatment of education in mind that I propose these rectifying actions:
Operating Budget:
- Cut local taxes by $12 million. For me the greatest relief should come with an 80% reduction in the car tax from the destructive $2.60 per $100 to $.52 per $100.
- Move the $1 million for school buses to the School Board’s operating budget, unconditionally.
Capital funding:
Put to work $65,000,000 from a reserve account that was over $97,000,000 in 2024:
- Add $15 million to the school’s capital account. This allows a catch up in educational aids and construction needs that went unmet due to BOS shenanigans.
- Plan, bid and construct all necessary, fully equipped cell towers, for 100% county cell service.
- The capital needs of law enforcement and emergency services are real and expensive. Instead of sitting on, say, $35 million – prioritize those needs and go as far as the money allows.
Fifty million dollars, going to make our lives personally and collectively safer will surely be better than a future Tourist Information Center or sewer lines for developers. Let’s put our money to work, “It’s our money and we want It used for us now!”
I asked Mr. Fitzgerald how much time I would be allotted to speak at the public hearing as well as asking if I could have charts displayed on the overhead. Mr. Fitzgerald said four minutes and “no”.
It seems Augusta County internet security could be compromised by my sending PDFs through email and IT then making them available for viewing.
(Oh my, Timmy really thinks I’m an idiot!”)
The lengths to which the Board of Supervisors will go to stifle public dissent through tedium reminds me of Grievance Number 4 in our Declaration of Independence where it laments the King’s obstacles for hearing and being heard as instituted: “…for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.”
Public hearings are not just for the purpose of speaking to those on high perches, but also so the public can hear what is said such that they can assess the responses.
So even if I am fatigued, I will be there. I expect they will object to signs I bring for better information illustration. And surely will have security on high alert for some lawless senior citizen non-conformance. But I will press on until silenced. Please attend or tune in, see if David can best Goliath, one more time.
Tracy Pyles is a former chairman of the Augusta County Board of Supervisors.
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