When engaging neighbors in concerning the Churchville Volunteer Fire Co., people would ask: “What’s wrong with the Board of Supervisors?” They each have their own suspicions, and each adjective has a grain of truth: “unethical,” “indifferent” and “arrogant.”
But the county’s fall from being “tax-adverse” to “tax-loving” is easily the main concern, especially when matched with obvious waste and frustrations pleading to know “what are they doing with all of our money?”
The Aug. 12 Augusta County Board of Supervisors meeting had several matters the supervisors debated awkwardly with undertones of dissension. It was as if each was giving a book report on an unread assignment.
First, the Board was considering whether to match state funds to secure a one-time bonus for state, co-funded, county workers, as well as an option meant to treat all county employees similarly.
Supervisor Scott Seaton of the Wayne District, a medical doctor by trade, appeared uninformed. As the agenda packet had it well explained, we can’t tell if Seaton’s many questions meant he didn’t read it, didn’t understand it after reading, or read it, understood it, and decided he needed attention.
“Didn’t we meet in March and give raises?” he demanded. Correct, but he seemed not to grasp this proposal was just now being offered.
Additionally, since March, the Board learned they had overtaxed us $34 million in 2025. Which then pushed an already irrational $97.8 million of undesignated taxes, from last year, into an unjustified $114.6 million today.
The result? Seaton cut the baby in half. They approved his proposal to fund $656,000, for teachers and social workers; while denying $545,000 for deputies, firemen, county prosecutors, maintenance workers.
The Board knows it loses good career law enforcement and emergency personnel to better-paying localities. Why not try to keep the gap from widening?
Next Seaton was concerned about $5,000 for an agricultural “crop-press” study. The intent was to learn the potential savings our farmers accrue if such an operation were here. He was against it. This was advocated for by our farmer chairman and by our economic development director.
Yes, the Wayne District lags Pastures and North River in soybean production, but I assume people in Fishersville eat. And prefer food to be less expensive. Farmers are in a different financial world than physicians.
The market sets farm incomes, independent of producer costs. This year’s county budget has $471,000 for tourism, $458,000 for economic development and just $6,760 for agricultural outreach.
Though this study was funded, 6-1, we know bringing in another chicken restaurant has a higher priority than helping the poultry industry make a profit.
Finally, our medicine man was on the warpath (forgive me, I’m old) suggesting Augusta County is moving toward California-like taxes. Maybe so, but that started when I got benched. At issue here is whether, in Mr. Seaton’s mind, we common folk are smart enough to be trusted with a tax proposal.
The state wants our voters to decide whether to add a 1 percent local sales tax for new school construction ($10 million annually). My sense is that this will be hard to pass in Augusta County. But letting the people debate and decide is very democratic.
However, Seaton’s most revealing remark was his repeated advocacy for property tax over sales tax. To understand what is at issue, let me explain.
The county and its contractors, fairly or wrongly, solely determine the value of every parcel of land, structure, car, truck, motorcycle, and trailer in the county, then with all the study of a dog deciding whether to chase a bone, they set the levy based on whatever rate catches their fancy. We are sitting ducks.
With sales tax, unlike prop taxes, more than just county residents pay them. The values are exactly what we are willing to pay. We also can limit our own taxes by how smart we shop. Ducks in flight.
We presently receive $94 million in property tax and $26 million from sales tax. Since I was there in 2017, these taxes have soared from a combined $74 million to $120 million. Worrying about Augusta becoming California is not the concern, Supervisors having the carefree tax instincts of beach boys in Malibu is. Janky!
Yes, people are right to be concerned about the present composition of our BOS. But it isn’t one thing, it’s everything. One supervisor, alone, cannot ruin the fiscal commonsense Augusta once enjoyed. That requires an inept staff, ineffectual elected, and voters unwilling to hold the officeholders accountable.
“We have met the enemy, and he is us” … Pogo.
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