James City County homeowners would pay full tax increase in proposed budget

Good morning. Local schools propose budgets with significant funding gaps and James City talks about selling its marina.

James City County supervisors will get a proposed operating budget Friday that increases spending 2.9% over the current budget and will raise what taxpayers spend on property taxes by 5 cents per $100 of assessed value.

The county received a double-digit increase in property tax revenue this year despite a 5-cent tax credit to taxpayers, because of a dramatic jump in property tax values.

“My proposed budget will not include the continuation of the tax credit,” county administrator Scott Stevens told us via email. “What I heard from residents last spring was, if we had to have a tax increase, could we phase it in over time?

“The tax credit provided a way to phase in the increase. Ultimately, this is a decision for the Board of Supervisors to make during the budget process and public discussion in April and May.”

Stevens told the board at their Monday meeting he will present them a budget Friday that “is pretty tight and represents the times we’re in and the pressures people are feeling in the community.”

He also told the supervisors he had cut $100 million from the capital improvement budget request they will receive Friday, which will be $345 million.

James City will hold a community meeting April 1 to answer budget questions, and a public hearing on April 8. Supervisors are expected to adopt a final budget May 30, Stevens said.

The capital spending budget includes $189 million in funding for the new government center and $49 million for a co-located new library building. The region’s growth has outstripped the library space required in the state funding guidelines, we were told by Sandy Towers, director of the Williamsburg Regional Library.

York County and Williamsburg-James City County school boards approve budgets with significant funding gaps

While the localities that fund much of their budget are working on their spending plans and the tax implications for citizens, the school boards of York County and Williamsburg-James City County voted this week to send them budgets with multi-million dollar funding gaps.

There is a potential gap of more than $3.5 million between what the York County school staff proposed in its $201 million operating budget and what the state and county have proposed to give, the school board was told Monday. The board voted 4-1, with 5^th district representative Lynda J. Fairman voting against, to send the budget forward.

York County Administrator Mark Bellamy has proposed the county raise property taxes by $8 million to fund a budget increase, but his proposal would still not close the gap in the schools’ request.

Fairman opposed moving forward with the budget at the school board’s meeting until there was more clarity on how the gap would be closed.

She proposed asking staff to first recommend alternatives to trim the budget if necessary, “realizing there is a good possibility that we will be making some major cuts”.

The Williamsburg-James City County school board, meanwhile, approved an operating budget of $197 million on Tuesday, with one dissenting vote from Stonehouse representative Michael T. Hosang.

Although the schools have trimmed several million dollars off their budget request, it will still require a double-digit increase in contributions from taxpayers in James City County and Williamsburg.

“The estimated number of students is not expected to increase next year,” Hosang told us. “It doesn't make sense to increase the financial burden of citizens when the student population is stagnant, and families are hurting to make ends meet. “

Hosang said he also opposed adding several dozen school employees when enrollment is flat at around 11,300 students and the schools want to raise pay for current teachers and other staff.

The next step in the annual budget dance is for the approved school budgets to be discussed with the localities that pay the largest share of school expenses. After the local governments set their final contribution amount, the schools will have to adjust their plans as necessary.

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James City County marina for sale again, but supervisors told they can limit development

James City County marina (County photo)

James City County is looking to sell the marina it owns, but county supervisors were assured they can take steps to prevent home development or other uses they oppose on the property.

County Administrator Scott Stevens told the board at its Monday session the county has put out a request for proposals to hire a real estate broker with experience in selling marinas. He said the county had tried to sell the marina a decade ago with no takers.

Selling it now would avoid spending county money on upgrading the facility.

Berkeley District Supervisor Ruth Larson said she had heard concerns the marina would be replaced by a residential neighborhood. But Stevens told her the board of supervisors can place any restrictions it wishes on a future buyer.

“if people are worried about access to the water, to the boat ramp…we can protect that,” Stevens told the supervisors.

Dollar Tree will sell Family Dollar

Governor signs bill to protect reproductive and sexual health data, amends right to contraception

Here’s the status of key bills that the governor signed, vetoed or amended

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Passings

Fred Mack Erskines, 63, March 20.

Eric Scott Jones, 58, March 18.

Patricia Jane Holland, 83, March 25.

Barbara T. Jennings, 89, March 24.

Samuel M. Cupp, 94, March 21.