ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, March 22, 1996 TAG: 9603220088
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: RINER
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN STAFF WRITER
Speakers at Thursday's public hearing on Montgomery County's proposed budget fell in the usual two categories: those who support increased spending for schools, and those who oppose the additional tax burden.
Ten speakers - a mix of teachers, parents and interested residents - spoke specifically in favor of increased school spending. They called it a necessary investment in the future, a way to make sure children are prepared to compete in the global workplace by keeping pace with ever-evolving technological advances.
Bob Stuart, who lives in the Blacksburg area, told the Board of Supervisors he represented that section of the community "whose children are long out of public schools" but still see the necessity of good educational planning to benefit economic development.
"Just good schools are not enough in this kind of lean, mean world," Stuart said.
The board's advertised real estate tax rate of 75 cents per $100 of assessed value does not necessarily mean taxes will increase. The board typically advertises an increase to gauge public opinion but has raised the real-estate tax rate only once since 1991.
The board will vote on the budget and the tax rate next month.
The advertised rate means the county School Board will have to trim its budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The School Board had asked for $53.3 million, about $6 million more than the current budget.
The supervisors' advertised tax increase will produce at most a 6.2 percent budget increase for schools, while the School Board had asked for a 12 percent increase. Had its budget been fully funded, the 12 percent increase would have been used to raises employees' pay 7 percent; hire new teachers; and purchase new science, math and vocational supplies.
Phyllis Albritton urged the board to adopt the entire advertised increase, not just a portion of it as most expect the supervisors to do. She called the increase modest, pointing out that owners of a $50,000 home would see their taxes increase by $30 a year, while those owning property worth $200,000 would pay an extra $120 a year.
But eight opponents of the advertised 6-cent real estate tax increase told the Board of Supervisors that the elderly and those living on fixed incomes could not afford more taxes. They suggested the county learn to tighten its budget, much the same as the state and individuals are being forced to do in lean economic times.
Ernestine Frith suggested the supervisors should not only not raise taxes, they should consider decreasing the tax rate.
"If we keep on increasing our real estate taxes, we are going to discourage new industry" from moving to the county, she said.
Larry Linkous, the former chairman of the Board of Supervisors who gave up his District F seat in an unsuccessful run for the House of Delegates last fall, told his former colleagues he and other small-business owners could not continue to shoulder additional tax burdens.
"If this increase is approved tonight, my real estate bill ... to Montgomery County will be $650 a month," Linkous said.
``I'm not sure how much of a tax increase many of us can continue to absorb."
But Laura Wedin, president of the Kipps Elementary School PTA, said the increase should be manageable and that tax relief programs are available for the elderly.
"For our family, this means an extra $45 per year. I've already forked out at least that much this year for fund-raisers at our school."
Wedin said it was discouraging when PTAs have to work to raise money for essential school supplies such as books, computers and playground equipment.The proposed school budget is in large part a flexing of the muscles of a new School Board, where four of its nine members were elected to office last November. Without the need to fear not being reappointed by the Board of Supervisors, the School Board this year has supported its proposed budget vocally, and has presented the proposal directly to the supervisors instead of using the school superintendent as a buffer as in years past.
The advertised tax rates means the owner of a piece of property assessed at $100,000 would pay $750 a year in real-estate taxes, compared with $690 under the current 69-cent rate. That's an increase of $60, or 8.7 percent.
The entire county budget proposal is $69.1 million, with the total county spending portion of the budget being $18.7 million.
That includes $647,500 in new spending for several initiatives, including new radios for the Sheriff's Office, a project undertaken last year after complaints that deputies often were unable to communicate effectively with dispatchers when answering calls in remote parts of the county. Money also is budgeted for new vehicles for several county departments, the replacement of outmoded computer equipment and 5 percent across-the-board salary adjustments for county employees - in addition to regular step increases that average 4.5 percent. The county has been concerned about losing employees to surrounding jurisdictions because of better wages.
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