Winter Weekend, round two
It's January 28, and it looks like another snowy weekend coming up. Also, Busch Gardens wins tax battle but loses tax war. And a look at James City County wish list for building projects.
The National Weather Service says our area is looking at a snow storm this coming weekend, but the severity is still up in the air.
Williamsburg-James City County schools will be opening two hours late today to allow travel during daylight hours. York schools will reopen at their regular hours.
Forecasters in the Wakefield office say a strong coastal low pressure system will be forming off the coast of the Carolinas by Friday.
Depending on how close that low comes to shore, our region could get more than three inches of snow on Friday night and Saturday. That’s the most likely scenario as of Tuesday afternoon.
Two less likely scenarios show the low heading out to sea and missing us altogether, or coming in closely and walloping the east coast from South Carolina to Maine.
One saving grace – this storm is expected to produce snow, not the ice and freezing rain we had Sunday.
“We had limited power outages and accidents” last weekend, James City County Administrator Scott Stevens said Tuesday. He said county staff prepared in advance, opened the recreation center as a warming center, and were on the roads monitoring conditions so staff could respond.
Busch Gardens gets tax refund, but higher real estate taxes coming up
James City County’s third largest taxpayer won a tax battle.... but may have lost the taxpaying war.
The Busch Gardens theme park challenged its personal property tax treatment with the state tax commissioner, saying its rides and attractions should be taxed as real estate rather than personal property.
Busch Gardens got a $2.9 million tax refund last month. But going forward, its annual tax bill goes up by $2.6 million a year.
Here’s the condensed narrative:
2021: Busch Gardens files an appeal with the state tax commissioner saying its rides should have been taxed as real estate for the years 2017-2020.
2024: After initially kicking back the appeal, the state agreed with Busch Gardens in the fall of 2024. The state ruled that because of the statute of limitations, the amusement park owed no taxes for three years dating back to 2017. The county could start taxing the rides as real estate as of fiscal year 2021.
2025: The county netted out the difference between the higher real estate taxes the park would have owed and the property taxes already paid, and sent Busch Gardens a check for $2.9 million in December.
But that changes this year.
The property tax would have been $1.1 million a year for the current and upcoming fiscal years, Financial and Management Services Director Sharon McCarthy told the board of supervisors Tuesday. The real estate tax will be about $3.7 million a year, an increase of $2.6 million a year, McCarthy said.
Personal property is discounted by 75% up front in James City County and is taxed at $4 per $100 of value. Real estate is taxed at 100% of fair market value at 83 cents per $100 value.
The county hired a consultant who performs valuations for the hospitality industry nationwide to determine the value of the rides.
Dale Gallagher, the county’s director of real estate assessment, said the firm looked at different parks throughout the state and estimated the value of the rides based on projected revenue.
“We believe this settles it for us,” County Administrator Scott Stevens told the board. “We will see where we end up with the taxpayer...we believe this is fair.”
County wish list totals $329.6 million
James City County departments have a $329.6 million wish list for capital projects over the next five years – but that doesn’t mean they will get it.
County supervisors will prioritize the various department’s requests for construction and upgrades through Fiscal Year 2031 when they meet for their annual retreat Feb. 12.
“If we fund all of these I would be surprised,” County Administrator Scott Stevens told the supervisors at their Tuesday afternoon business meeting.
He said supervisors should prioritize “what we absolutely should do, what we may do if funding allows, and maybe what we ought to defer.”
The capital requests include another $124.36 million for the new county government center on Longhill Road, $25.1 million for a library annex, plus $10 million for a new library in the Grove area.
Stevens told the supervisors the current total price estimate for the government center is $178 million - $179 million, but there should be a final price agreement by May that he hopes will be a bit lower.
State Headlines
Virginia’s congressional redistricting effort on hold after Tazewell court ruling
Virginia Senate panel advances gun safety bills once vetoed by Youngkin
Top 10 weekend picks (weather permitting):
For James City County residents only:
You have first crack at tickets to the James City County Revolutionary Rhythms concert series April 17 & 18th, but you have to buy them online by Saturday. The Plain White T’s play on the 17th, and tickets start at $10. Kool & The Gang plays the 18th, with tickets starting at $20. County residents have first crack at the tickets through Saturday here.
Liberty Ice Pavilion Outdoor Ice Skating in Colonial Williamsburg. Daily until Feb. 28. $18 adult, $13 youth 3-12.
The Last Word Comedy Festival. Jan. 29 $30.
Williamsburg Players Present: Bad Seeds. Jan. 30 – Feb. 15. $22 adults, $12 students/military.
Children’s opera -- Dragon’s Breath from the Virginia Opera. Jan. 31. 11 a.m. – noon. Williamsburg Library. Free.
Waterfowl Walk/Watch. Jan. 31. York River State Park. 10 a.m. to noon.
Williamsburg Area Restaurant Week. Feb. 1 – Feb. 7. Specially selected fixed price menus at a special price.
The Williamsburg Symphony Presents Cabaret & Cocktails. Feb. 1. Williamsburg Lodge. Tickets $70-$115.
Black History Month at Colonial Williamsburg. Feb. 1 – Feb. 28.
Black Artist Showcase. Feb. 1 – March 2. Jamestown Settlement. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Included with admission to Settlement: $20 adults, $10 youth 6-12, Free 5 and under.
Passings
Jaylen Nathaniel Charity, 17, January 11.
Wayne William Olansen, 75, January 16.
Peter Williamson, 85, January 20.
Solid local coverage. The Busch Gardens tax situation is a fascinatin case study in how appeals can backfire, winning $2.9M back but then getting hit with $2.6M annually is rough math longterm. Worked in local govt finance for a bit and these real estate vs personal property distinctions always create weird edge cases with theme park equipemnt.
"James City County departments have a $329.6 million wish list..." And so it begins. The Supervisors have trouble passing up any spending, so expect that the budget will rise to meet revenues after the reassessment. They don't look at what we need, but how much money they can extract from taxpayers.