Do we raise the tax-rates to continue the spending?...

Bob Stuart over at the NewsVirginian has a follow-up on last nights Augusta Supervisors meeting where there were numerous comments regarding the budget shortfall and possible tax increases facing the citizens of Augusta County… It appears the majority of the people commenting were against increasing several county taxes that are being looked at, and a small group of organized “special interest” people calling for tax increases to support education programs “and the children”…

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It appears there is once again a small group out their organizing select special interest packs who are only looking at narrow specific aspects of the issue at hand while ignoring the total picture and how it affects ALL of the citizens of Augusta County. Fortunately, as in the past, the facts will come out and many will then look at the total picture instead of what they are “being fed”….

Augusta Supervisors hear diverse comment on tax rate

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By: Bob Stuart News Virginian
Published: April 19, 2012 Updated: April 19, 2012 - 7:30 AM
VERONA, Va. --
Most Augusta County residents who spoke at a public hearing Wednesday night on the county’s tax rate for 2012-13 asked supervisors to look for ways to cut costs and avoid raising both real estate and personal property taxes.

A minority of speakers talked of the needs to pay essential county workers such as teachers, firefighters and Sheriff’s deputies, and said they would support a tax increase.

At the end of the nearly two-hour public hearing, supervisors seemed split on whether to raise real estate taxes 3 cents to the advertised 51 cents per $100, and personal property taxes on cars and trucks 32 cents to $2.57 per $100.

A final decision is likely when the board votes on the tax rate and county budget on May 2.
Augusta County Republican Party Chairman Bill Shirley asked the board members to step away from the immediate budget and look at the long-term debt picture. He said the county’s current debt wouldn’t be paid off until 2032.

He proposed attacking the debt and providing public safety and not raising taxes.
“It’s a great opportunity to take a stand,’’ said Shirley, who said the county could do what the state and federal government have failed to do – cut spending.

Fishersville resident Bruce Richmond, director of the Shenandoah Valley Tea Party Patriots, said he and other residents in that area have already paid additional homeowners insurance funds because of the ISO rating problem the Preston L. Yancey Fire Company had until a recent improvement.

“Go with a balanced budget, cut what you can,’’ Richmond said. “Go through it (the budget) line by line.”

He said school costs could be more frugal by utilizing empty classrooms, but advised not cutting public safety.

Fishersville resident Curt Lilly said while there are plenty of worthy causes it is time to take a stand “and say no to everyone asking for money. There are lots of good ideas but you still need to say no.”

Augusta County resident and Shenandoah Valley Governor’s School teacher Leonard Klein said he could afford to pay a little more in taxes so that his students could receive the benefits.

Starke Smith said staff and funding for county schools have been cut in recent years, and said it was important to fund teachers, firemen and police. “Three cents is the very minimum. I would have voted for 5 cents,’’ Smith said.

Some Supervisors are waiting to see what the state budget that was passed on Wednesday means to Augusta County before making a decision on a tax increase.

Others have decided. Middle River Supervisor Larry Wills said the county has already looked at cuts in its budget, and won’t replace Assistant County Administrator John McGehee when he retires in a few months.

“I don’t like a tax increase but I don’t like shortchanging essential services,’’ said Wills, who supports the increase.

Board Chairman Tracy Pyles said he could not support raising taxes until all options have been explored, and that includes using county capital money to meet needs in next year’s budget.

North River Supervisor Marshall Pattie read a lengthy statement.
Pattie spoke of how he had met residents in his district on the economic edge who are struggling to keep going.

“I talked to one family who stopped driving their truck because the cost of gas is too high to run it,’’ he said.

He supports using county capital reserves to pay the added costs in next year’s budget, and not raising taxes.
“We have a surplus of taxpayer money. Let’s use taxpayer money that has already been provided to us to cover our short-term expenditures before we go back and ask for more money,’’ Pattie said.

Other supervisors said they were eager to see the county’s final state funding from the General Assembly.

“I will wait to see what the state did on funding,’’ said South River Supervisor David Beyeler.
Riverheads Supervisor Mike Shull said he did not want to raise taxes, and said he would wait to see the state funding.

Beverley Manor Supervisor David Karaffa said he was concerned about specific line items he thought still needed to be cut, including the $20,000 per year the county pays a General Assembly lobbyist to advocate for Augusta County.

“This is an unnecessary expenditure and I won’t vote for a budget with this in it,’’ he said.

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.

Augusta County takes control of Yancey VFD...

The NewsLeader has coverage of the County taking over control of the Yancey Volunteer Fire Department... Several people have observed how this district of the county has gotten the extra attention of the BOS since the Wayne district citizens rallied after their insurance rates increased due to a poor rating for the Yancey FD. Many observed how the folks over in Wayne were able and willing to petition and pressure the BOS for a paid staff at Yancey but not to volunteer or help out at the same FD they were complaining about. Some from this district even made it a campaign issue this past fall. Numerous other districts in Augusta have volunteer staffs that carry most of the weight and respond to the call of their neighbors. These same volunteers, besides carrying the weight of their locales, are now paying the taxes and salaries of the majority paid staff over at Yancey...


VERONA — The end of a more than three-decade-old tradition of an independent volunteer fire department in Fishersville won't change who responds or how they respond, Augusta County and Preston L. Yancey Volunteer Fire Department officials promise.

The Yancey company's decision to turn itself over to the county mostly means the county will assume the administrative headaches of running a fire company along with its equipment and station, which will remain in place, said Tracy Pyles, chairman of the board of supervisors.

"It doesn't matter whether it is a career patch or a volunteer patch on a firefighter's shoulder," he added.

Augusta County already stations 12 paid firefighters at Yancey, for round-the-clock staffing by four county employees.

The county will not need to station more paid firefighters at Yancey and the takeover should not affect the budget, Pyles said.

"It's like squeezing the balloon," he said. Any additional expense the county incurs taking over the administrative and business functions of the company will be offset by a lower payment to the volunteers who will continue to respond to calls, he said.

The county has stepped up support for Yancey over the past year and a half after an insurance rating agency gave the company a failing grade. In addition to assigning more paid firefighters to the Fishersville station, the county decided to automatically dispatch Company 10 and Waynesboro Fire Department to calls in Fishersville alongside the volunteer department.

But Yancey has seen a decline in the time people can commit to volunteering, even as it served one of the county's fastest-growing areas. It has recently averaged one volunteer firefighter responding per call, and had averaged three in 2010. The insurance rating body that gave the company a failing grade says a minimum of four firefighters are needed on a call.

"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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