Tracy Pyles: Augusta County raises your taxes, again, but was it necessary?

Raising taxes in Augusta County used to be unusual, unnatural. No more – it’s now as regular as dogs barking, though much more irritating.

So, what happened? The only plausible explanation is that our supervisors are all Republicans, and they like to raise taxes.

This seems particularly unnerving, unexpected, in the sense that much of Republican lore centers around “low taxes, small government.” Yeah, but there remains the law of inevitability “power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Which is what we have in Augusta County.

Republicans are in control, often an 80-20 vote margin. In America we do have “blue” cities that are equally unbalanced; internationally, there remains North Korea and Russia where thinking likewise is forfeited to just one brand.

In each of these cases, government becomes less effective, as the fear of losing authority does not exist. The Bible suggests that “iron sharpens iron,” which is as good an explanation as any as what’s missing. Governments become dull, rusting, without meaningful challenge.

To suggest Republicans in Augusta County are as lemming-like as city dwellers and the indoctrinated of Pyongyang and Moscow is not so far off base. What aligns all these folks is the continuing belief that what their dear leaders say is true, and what they experience is a lie.

Consider Board of Supervisors newcomer, and government trainee, Chris Kinchloe saying our taxes are “fair” and suggesting he supports Augusta “low” taxes during his campaign. But then voting for increases in his first budget. The deciding vote in a 4-3 ruling. Embarrassing for the good people of the Pastures to think they were the decisionmakers for more government looting.

The question, then, is: are they “fair” and are they “low”?  More than anything else is: are they necessary?

I will provide numbers from the illegally, conveniently, delayed Audit for FY2025.

(Illegal because the Code of Virginia requires its submission to the state by December 30th and conveniently because its April 16th release was the day AFTER budget approval)

The audit again this year, as in every year since I lost my Board seat, does not support raising tax as much as it screams: “your taxes are too darn high!”

From this newly presented County Financial Audit, found on the county website in the Financial Department, p126, Exhibit 12 entitled “Schedule of Revenues, Expenditures, and Changes in Fund Balances—Budget and Actual” we find these realities:

1. The Original Board Budget called for $21,229,654 more in taxes than needed for the planned $118,598,171 in expenditure (18%).
2. 2. The Actual Budget revealed $34,037,414 noted as, Excess of Revenue over expenditures      (29%).

The result of continuing to over-tax is found in aptly titled: Exhibit #1 Statement of Net Position (P24)

1. Unrestricted (capital assets) $114,465,688

This is an obscene amount of money to have collected without purpose. We can fund all of next year without collecting any property taxes in FY2026.

My goals in government centered on improving people’s lives without doing more harm than good. Taxes are harming, and more harming to middle- and lower-class homes than on the wealthy. Just like who is hit hardest due to “affordability.”

Did anyone hear supervisor concern for county residents facing “more month than money”? Have any of those seven, ever needing gas, stopped halfway when needing  another paycheck to finish the fill?

The county has unrestricted (unneeded) funds sufficient to return every county household more than $3,000. That’s shameful and just not right.

The Board, I hope, will try to smooth over my concerns with jibber-jabber. I can’t wait.

But rest assured this stinky, old, Democrat will keep coming after the Republican fat-cats until they decide to be who they are supposed to be.