BOS ""Split terms"... Justa roll of the dice or something worse?...

The NewsVirginian has an on-line report by Bob Stuart regarding the Augusta Board of Supervisors (BOS)  and Supervisor Pattie efforts to re-hash the “Split-term” issue that was a promise by the legendary “Gang-of-four” during the campaign. Unfortunately once again after clicking on the article to read it the familiar message window pops up advising the reader needs to fork over $5.95 to finish reading the article and open a month long on-line subscription.  Sorry but I just can’t justify $6 for a short article about local politics that should be supplied if this paper really wants to serve the community it is in… (Something Bob Stuart and I have corresponded about already)

It appears Supervisor Pattie has once again brought up the issue about split-terms instead of having all of the 7 BOS members come up to election every four years. 3 or 4 members would come up for re-election every two years instead and the thought there is a quicker change to the BOS majority being possible if the dice roll provides the desired result…

Could not see the answer in the on-line article before the pop-up window interrupts, but who decides which 3 or 4 BOS members have their four year term cut to two for this change to work? Will it be the decision of the outcome of a roll of the dice?  Or will it be the decision of Chairman Pyles and part of the “master plan”?... Maybe the opportunity for the “Gang-O-four” is only another two years away?...

Adjusting the Tax-rate to match the budget?...

Supervisor Karaffa held his first Townhall meeting since being elected as the Supervisor of Beverley Manor district and it seems that he now understands that the Tax-rate can be adjusted to meet budget demands. A option and tactic that Karaffa, along with many of the "Gang of Four", could\would not admit during the BOS campaigns where they made the "reassessment issue" the cornerstone of their attacks against the then sitting BOS board of Supervisors...

VERONA, Va. -- NewsVirginian
Beverley Manor District Supervisor David Karaffa met with constituents Tuesday night to get their input on a possible increase in real estate and personal property taxes to meet Augusta County’s 2012-13 budget needs.

A public hearing on the tax rate and Augusta County budget is set for next Wednesday at the Augusta County Government Center.

After 90 minutes of answering questions Tuesday night, Karaffa said he is still weighing a potential 3-cent increase in real estate taxes, and a 32-cent increase in personal property taxes on cars and trucks.

“I need to think about what is in the best interest of the people I represent,’’ he said. Karaffa said he would like to see added cuts in the 2012-13 budget. The suggested alternative to a tax increase concerns Karaffa.

He has doubts about dipping into capital accounts the county has for major building projects, depreciation and infrastructure needs to fund another $2.4 million for county schools and about $1 million for added firefighters, Sheriff’s deputies and other spending identified at recent budget work sessions.

“Pulling money out of the capital accounts is having faith the economy will turn around in the next couple of years,’’ Karaffa said.

Beverley Manor School Board member Lee Godfrey was also in attendance at Tuesday’s town hall. She said the School Board is grateful for the financial help from the Board of Supervisors. Godfrey said the added support means programs such as the Shenandoah Valley Governor’s School would continue.

Godfrey said while increasing taxes is never easy, she knows when she pays her Augusta County taxes that “I can show you where the money goes. The local money stays here. That is the beauty as opposed to the state and Washington.”

Karaffa told the audience he has confidence in the company just hired to do the county reassessment, Wingate and Associates of Roanoke.

Should property values decrease with the reassessment, Karaffa said the tax rate might have to be increased to not lose revenue.

“But we won’t know that until January 2014,’’ he said of the completed reassessment date.

Maybe the NewsLeader has noticed?....

The NewsLeader has a in-depth article about the recent changes over at the Yancey Volunteer Fire department were it was recently reported would now be under control of the Augusta County government control. This article goes into the changes that have occurred over the years and how this community has gone away from citizens stepping up and becoming part of the "volunteer" staff to serve their community.

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Good information and interesting reading. Only hoped that the NewsLeader would have done a article like this back during the recent Board of Supervisors campaign\election were this issue was used as a campaign issue by one of the candidates and it would have been obvious that it was only being used as a "Campaign Issue".....

In the late 1970s, there was no Emerald Hills, no Teaverton, no sprawling suburban-like development, recalled native Larry Swisher.

"Fishersville was a little crossroads community," Swisher said. "Everybody knew everybody because they were related, or they were friends and went to school together. There was a strong sense of community."

Back then, momentum for the idea gathered quickly, and the community of friends and relatives made it happen: The Preston L. Yancey Volunteer Fire Company sprouted from all the talk and fundraising, and volunteers took turns listening out for emergencies to answer calls.

In what eventually became an unfortunate, but increasingly typical paradox being played out around the country, Fishersville grew, but fewer people were willing fill volunteer ranks to fight fires. Now, years of unreliable volunteer fire coverage has forced the department to fold into Augusta County control.

A vital community service that had been provided through civic spirit and charitable donations is now offered by paid professionals who are part of a growing portion of the county's regular expenses.

The population of 9,000 mostly newcomers in the high-growth area is hardly close-knit.

Civic involvement in Fishersville didn't keep pace with the population boom. Despite all Yancey members' recruiting efforts, the company found itself in recent years trying to cover emergency calls in the area with 15 to 20 volunteers, about half of whom are active regulars, Swisher said.

Nearly two years ago, the Insurance Service Office, a subsidiary of New Jersey-based Versick Analytics, whose analysis is used by companies to set premiums for property owners, gave Preston Yancey a 10 rating for fire protection. It is the lowest possible score a fire department can receive — given to areas with no fire departments serving them.

Since then, inadequate volunteer staffing — a longtime problem — continued to plague the company, which serves the fastest growing community in Augusta County since 2000.
Volunteer issues, however, are not limited to just Preston Yancey.

"People now, they would rather sit at home and pay somebody else to do the job that they used to be willing to get out and do on their own," Swisher said.

Higher rating for Yancey Fire Department....

The NewsLeader reports that with the recent improvements and additional paid staff to the Yancey Fire Department has raised the area's service rating which will decrease the insurance rates for "some property owners" in the area. This after a very active campaign by some from the Wayne district to draw attention to their increased insurance rates and that the BOS had allowed the rating to fall.

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In fact this became a campaign issue used by some in hopes to install a "gang of four" to the board of supervisors that could favor this issue. Media events were held to draw attention to the higher insurance rates and the "failure of the BOS" to prevent this, but these events also failed to increase the amount of local citizens volunteering to correct this situation. The NewsLeader also reported that the Yancey fire department was
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"Unable to recruit enough volunteer firefighters to respond to calls, Yancey eventually decided to fold and officially become part of Staunton-based Company 10."

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VERONA — Improvements to emergency services in Fishersville have persuaded the firm that studies fire protection to upgrade the area's service rating, which should mean lower insurance costs for some property owners.

The New Jersey-based Insurance Service Office has revised the area's rating from the worst-possible 10 to a range of 5 to 8, county Fire-Rescue Chief Carson Holloway announced Wednesday..

The rating applies to Fishersville and to the area just outside of Staunton covered by the county's Fire Department Company 10, which is based within city the limits.
Last year, the county merged the area covered by Fishersville's Preston L. Yancey Volunteer Fire Company with Company 10. The move was one of many the county made since 2010 to improve fire protection in Fishersville. The local government also agreed to pay for additional firefighters to work out of Yancey, which is now dissolving as an independent department to come under county administration.

At supervisors' regular meeting Wednesday, Holloway congratulated the county government for the help provided to address the issue.

"This was a unified effort of many people working here in this building," Holloway said, referring to the Government Center. The improved fire rating will officially take effect July 1, the chief said. The bottom-of-the-barrel insurance rating given two years ago for the Fishersville area signaled the demise of Yancey as an independent company.

A the time, ISO cited inadequate training and equipment at Yancey, but the lack of volunteers has been especially dogging the department.

A rating of 10 is the equivalent of not having a fire department service in the area at all, Holloway said. That grade sent some homeowners' insurance soaring.

The county eventually beefed up the number of paid firefighters to answer calls in Augusta County's fastest-growing area. Supervisors later agreed to have Company 10 answer calls out of Fishersville automatically and signed a deal to quicken responses from the Waynesboro Fire Department.

Unable to recruit enough volunteer firefighters to respond to calls, Yancey eventually decided to fold and officially become part of Staunton-based Company 10.

"Fireworks" or Explosion?....

Was hoping to complete this site some more before rolling it out but it seems the antics at the Augusta County Board of Supervisors (BOS) meetings continue even after the recent election...

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"One of the more hotly contested matters Tuesday was over the allocation of funds from the Beverley Manor Infrastructure Account and Riverheads Infrastructure Account to the Riverheads Fire Department’s volunteer agency for an attack truck — $69,000 from Beverley Manor and $2,000 from Riverheads."
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"Pastures District Supervisor Tracy Pyles and North River District Supervisor Larry Howdyshell both vehemently opposed the funding. Pyles called it “outrageous” and said that it is not right to dump money at the last moment, referring to how five of the seven supervisors are lame ducks and will be leaving their posts at the end of the year."

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I find it interesting that Supervisor Pyles "Vehemently" opposed the providing of a volunteer Fire Department with a needed piece of equipment to service county Citizens. I do not recall him "vehemently" opposing the County supplementing the Yancey Fire Department over in Fishersville with a now paid staff that comes with a hefty payroll. The downgrading of the Yancey Fire Department resulted in higher insurance rates for the area residents and became a political issue and tool used by a BOS candidate favored by Supervisor Pyles and part of the now famous "Gang of Four" slate of BOS candidates...

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The county, all 7 districts, responded by providing the paid staff to the Yancey Fire Department to restore the higher rating and improve the service to the Wayne district and surrounding districts. Supervisors Pyles is now upset and feels that the present BOS should not "Dump money at the last moment" before the new "Pyles Slate" of BOS-elects are sworn in at the beginning of next term...

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It's obvious that it is a good thing that Supervisor Pyle's did not get the full "Pyles-Slate" that he had hoped for...

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