James City holds public hearing today on taxes, $413.1 million budget; opponents rally turnout
It’s April 14. Opponents of James City County’s new budget have been urging a large turnout for this afternoon’s public hearing on the tax rate. York County names members for its No Wake Zone committee. ROTC program approved for Williamsburg-James City County schools.
It could be a long night at the James City County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday.
Supervisors will hold public hearings on the county’s proposed tax rate and $413.1 million budget.
Meeting as the board of directors of the James City Service Authority, they will also approve a new budget for the utility that will increase rates for the average single family home by 8.3% .
They are also scheduled to vote on a new mixed-use project to add 155 new homes on surplus Eastern State Hospital land. The Westwood Park project is adjacent to New Town.
Opponents of county spending are expected to show up in large numbers, with several conservative civic groups soliciting turnout.
The proposed $281.5 million operating budget for the county, which starts July 1, is up 6.8%, more than double the rate of inflation. The capital budget, which includes expenses that may not be completed in the same year, is up 5% to $132.4 million.
Double-digit increases in home assessments will provide $10.6 million more in revenue, even if the supervisors approve cutting tax rates by three cents, to 80 cents per $100 in assessed value. At least two supervisors – Stonehouse Representative Barbara E. Null and Tracy Wainwright of Powhatan – have told us they support cutting the tax rate further.
A proposed 50% increase in the meals tax, to 6 percent, will bring in an extra $3.8 million.
Supervisors have not begun discussions on charging admissions taxes for Busch Gardens and other venues, which would allow them to take advantage of a new law that takes effect July 1.
Schools and personnel costs are the county’s two largest expenses.
Here is where the largest cost increases appear in the budget:
1. Payments to the Williamsburg-James City County school system for operations and debt service will increase $4.3 million, to $120.8 million. Schools account for 43% of the county operating budget.
2. The county will spend $3.3 million more to pay for a 4% salary raise and increased benefits costs, for a total of $85.2 million in personnel costs.
3. Capital spending for the new county office building, library annex and other programs increases 5% to $132.4 million. The county will take on $112.2 million in new debt.
Today’s meeting begins at 5 p.m. in the board room of the government center on Mounts Bay Road and will be livestreamed on the county website.
York County names no-wake zone committee members
York County has named 16 people to serve on a temporary committee to review and recommend changes to no-wake zones in the county’s waterways.
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