Tax rate drops 3¢

Tax rate drops 3¢ By Greg Pearson STAFF WRITER

The Chesterfield Board of Supervisors last week voted to decrease the property tax rate by three cents to $1.04 per $100 of assessed value. Because property values are escalating rapidly in the county, most property owners will be paying more taxes for essentially the same services this year. The rate would have to be lowered to 98 cents for property taxes to remain revenue neutral.

Due in part to the lack of enough business and retail tax base, Chesterfield has the highest property tax rate of any county in central Virginia. For comparison, on April 25 the Henrico board is expected to reduce its rate by two cents to 90 cents per $100 of assessed value for this year and another two cents lower next January.

When Chesterfield begins its budget process in September, all county departments and Chesterfield County Public Schools will be preparing the next budget using another two cents drop to $1.02.

Superintendent Billy Cannaday told the board the school system could meet all scheduled new construction and renovations with this year's rate reduction. School officials have said their proposed pay and benefits budget would remain unchanged.

The board discussion on April 12 began with Dale Supervisor Kelly Miller proposing a five-cent reduction, but his motion died for lack of a second. Miller has argued that a 15 percent increase in county spending was too much since infl ation and population growth was increasing just 6 percent.

"A five cent decrease will still leave a tencent increase," said Miller. "Taxes are increasing on our citizens at an alarming rate."

Clover Hill Supervisor Art Warren, who earlier supported at least a five-cent reduction, changed his mind when told improvements at Monacan High School in his district would have to be delayed with more than a three-cent cut. Another project affecting his district - a new Route 360 police station - might also have been delayed.

The third possible vote for more than three cents evaporated two weeks ago when Bermuda Supervisor Dickie King declared his support for three cents.

Public comment quiet

After months of discussion about the public comment period at board meetings, the two speakers who had signed up were not present at the April 12 meeting to speak.

The supervisor's agenda ended unusually early at 7:30 p.m. Citizen-critics Brenda Stewart and "Slugger" Morrissette did not come forward. Contacted later, Morrissette said he wanted to talk to the board about proffers on his land from 1989.