THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 9, 1996 TAG: 9603090422
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KAREN JOLLY DAVIS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ACCOMAC LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
County supervisors, looking for a way to finance a $23.8 million school construction plan without raising taxes, have received this message: It can be done, but not without changes.
An eight-member school financing committee on Thursday presented the supervisors with suggestions for raising $5 million for a down payment on the construction.
First, the committee suggested computerizing the county treasurer's office, then switching from annual to semiannual billing for real estate taxes.
``You end up collecting 18 months of taxes in 12 months,'' said Frank Moore, a member of the volunteer committee. He said many counties have switched to semiannual billing
The change would bring a windfall of $3.5 million to $4.5 million to the county. The committee said the change would not result in a tax increase.
``The taxes are due to the county anyway,'' said Jim Williams, a committee member. ``It's only a matter of when the county collects them.''
The county wants to build a new elementary school on Chincoteague Island, a kindergarten-12th grade school on Tangier Island and two elementary schools at undetermined mainland locations.
Under the plan, elementary schools in Accomac, Bloxom and Chincoteague would be closed.
Spending the windfall on school construction will not take money away from other county functions, the committee reported.
The county now bills property owners in December for the year. Under the proposed change, bills would go out in June and December.
The committee also recommended increasing late penalties from 5 percent to 10 percent.
For taxpayers, switching to semiannual payments looks suspiciously like a one-time hit for 50 percent more money.
Supervisor Thomas Matthews said farmers and elderly landowners who lease property would be hard pressed by the change.
``In July, I was just as broke as the Ten Commandments,'' said Matthews, a former farmer. ``Your money don't come in 'til November. I just think it's a hardship.''
Supervisor Wanda Thornton said it would be far more detrimental to farmers to raise taxes than to require them to come up with a one-time payment.
``How else can we do it?'' she asked.
Another suggestion for revenue-raising was the proposed sale of the county-owned nursing home near Parksley. The committee said that could raise up to $10 million.
The topic was sensitive, and supervisors discussed turning the nursing home over to a private management firm. The facility runs a deficit of up to $200,000 a year.
In addition to raising the down-payment for school construction, the supervisors discussed not increasing the county's $40 million operating budget.
Some actions in the financing plan, like the accounting automation, would have to be accomplished soon, the committee said. Several of the supervisors expressed support for the committee's plan.
``I think it would work,'' said Supervisor Julia Major. ``The public sentiment is high for us to go on and build the schools, and not have a tax increase.'' by CNB