Fiscal Health and Local Government

New Challenges Require Clear Vision


The next board of supervisors will face some tough choices. The problems facing local governments today require thoughtful solutions rather than simple slogans.

The local newspaper said it well: "The next Augusta Board of Supervisors will have to make some difficult decisions." The phrase: "Bring me men to match my mountains." comes to mind. Indeed, the need for informed individuals willing to hammer out the hard choices has never been clearer. The recent property assessment debacle proves that well.

Nichole Gelinas in City Journal writes about the indicators of health in local and state finances. Her article: Hidden in Plain Sight [click to read] says that disclosure requirements are a step in the right direction, but they alone will not fix the situation.

Fair and Honest Property Assessments

Think of our own local government and the recent property assessment battle. The historical pattern had always been one where assessments were performed in a rather casual way to follow the then predictable rise in real estate values. Governments planned expenditures based on this pattern and boards of supervisors rubber stamped the whole process.

In a steadily growing economy there was no need for questioning reality, after all. The can kicked down the road was highly unlikely to roll back on you.

After 2006, reality changed. The appraisal and budget process that followed underscored the need for lively and open debate. Tracy Pyles, supervisor from the Pastures District, took the bold and necessary step of addressing flaws in the process that would eventually come back to bite us. The assessors were using values derived from a real estate bubble that had already burst. There was no reality in letting tax rates be driven by these numbers. Furthermore, the inflated numbers created a false report to state revenue agencies, resulting in reduced payments to the county from state taxes collected. Northern Virginia localities saw their property values reduced in a more honest process and actually received increased state funding while Augusta's was reduced.

The inability of other local elected officials to throw themselves into this debate is telling. In low-crime Mayberry, Barney Fife can keep his service revolver empty and his bullet in his pocket. If revenues can be counted on to rise 'safely,' we can afford to let the supervisors kick the can down the road, or so it might seem. Actually the need for open and honest debate is even more important when we might plan honestly for a range of contingiencies. The best reforms happen quietly and in a timely manner. They may never show up in print.

The 2011 campaign for supervisor's seats in Augusta County should create no less than a mandate for the kind of debate that will monitor county vital signs BEFORE a fiscal disaster occurs.

First Responder Support Strategies

Recent audits of Augusta's fire stations uncovered problems that beg the question: "Why didn't the board of supervisors impliment key elements of a fire plan they commissioned?" David Karaffa, candidate for Beverley Manor District Supervisor proposes some strong steps to support our volunteer community. Property tax credit of up to $750 is a great incentive for someone like an artisan farmer who is willing to give her time to protecting the community as a fire fighter/EMT. Reimbursement for mileage and training also help her with practical support as she provides real safety to the county. Tuition credits for young first responders would enhance recruitment of the next generation.

Supporting the volunteer community now makes perfect sense. This 'stitch in time' response to volunteer support would help to preserve the ideal of self-protecting community service. At the same time, Karaffa suggests, we need to unfreeze and fill key paid positions.

Education as a Priority

Seeing an educated population as a key element of economic development, Karaffa says: "Education is vital for our economy, our children, our government, and our future. If elected, I will work side by side with the school board in terms of budgeting and other needs to make sure that every dollar put toward education is used to its fullest and not wasted. I will frequently be checking in with the school board representatives and will attend their meetings to hear the concerns of the parents in our community." Believe him. As the parent of two young daughters, he's concerned that monies reach the classroom. He's already going to more meetings than some people who are already elected and makes a practice of informing himself going into decisions.

Fiscal Responsibility and Accountability to the People

David Karaffa supports budget process where the people are given the opportunity to see the actual figures before the budget is voted on. Openness, he feels, would be a great deterrant to unnecessary and frivolous spending. A quesionable hundred-thousand dollar expenditure on new cell phones for county employees might well have been cut before unnecessary spending occurred. In an era of tightened belts and necessary sacrifice, it is refreshing to see a new generation of candidates who see tax revenues as the people's money.

Note: The Author of this post actively serves in the campaign of David Karaffa for Supervisor.

Mr. Karaffa Goes to Verona

"The Most Important Level of Government is Local"
--Thomas Jefferson


David Karaffa puts on the first bumper sticker.

David Karaffa will be announcing his candidacy for the Augusta County Board of Supervisors on Saturday, January 8th at 10:00am at the Government Center in Verona.
The entire event will last about 20 minutes and all local media are invited to attend. Come out and hear what David has planned for Augusta County. Please let your neighbors know, all are invited.

www.DavidKaraffa.com

Please note: I actively serve in the Karaffa Campaign. Unlike people in the MSM who try to hide their activism as they wear it on their sleeves, I will tell you clearly when I am investing myself in something that I believe in.

When I was much younger... it was in the late sixties... my Father and I were driving through the county seat. Dad pointed out the very large new county office building to make me aware of how rapidly the bureaucratic sector was growing. Recently a client of mine purchased a piece of property and had to go to the government center early in the morning. "You ought to get a picture of all the cars in the parking lot," he suggested. To a layman's eye, there would appear to be a lot of people going into that building who do not contribute to better education or public safety. Mr. Karaffa says:

"Local Government is where things really happen, where decisions are made by local representatives that immediately affect you and your family. I have attended the meetings at the Government Center in Verona and believe we can do a better job. That is why I am running for the Beverley Manor seat on the Augusta County Board of Supervisors.

We need a more open and transparent Board. We need representation that opens up issues to public input through town halls, local meetings, etc. We need fiscal responsibility here in Augusta and we need an accurate budget that includes all spending plans.

I am asking you to join with me as we work to bring open and honest government, fiscal responsibility, and individual pride in Augusta back to life."

An Issues Driven Campaign

"I believe the best government is one that the people are actively involved in. I understand that the position I am running for is that of representation and service. If elected, I will make myself available before each and every Board of Supervisors meeting for questions. I will work hard to address your concerns and respond to your questions in a timely manner.

Staggered Terms:
The Augusta County Board of Supervisors voted against staggering their election terms. I believe the terms should be staggered so the public can have a more frequent and influential part in the decisions of the Board. If elected, I will immediately work toward this goal.

Fiscal Responsibility:
One of the pillars of good government is fiscal responsibility. If elected, I would consistently vote to limit unnecessary spending and seek out ways to cut already wasteful spending practices. I would also push for the new budget to be available to the public before the Board of Supervisors takes a vote to approve it.

Taxes:
I believe that taxes collected by the government are not earned by the government; they are earned by the people and therefore should be respected in that manner. If elected, I will fight to keep local taxes low and look for ways to cut them further.

Local Property Assessment:
I believe the responsibility of the property assessment is important and the integrity of the assessment must be maintained. If elected, I will look into any case of fraud or abuse of the assessment process and will not vote to approve an assessment until I am confident it has been conducted in a fair and accurate manner.

Safety:
I have a high respect for our men and women of the Augusta County Sheriff’s Department and will work hard to address the concerns and needs that they bring to the Board of Supervisors. I understand that they are currently understaffed and if elected, will work to fill those vacant positions and strengthen their ability to uphold the law through responsible ordinances.

Fire and Rescue:
The Fire Departments in Augusta are coming under increased scrutiny due to recent audits. The issues facing our Volunteer Agencies have been dragged out in the newspapers. As a result, it is clear that action must be taken, not just in one specific station or department, but rather systemic changes that will support and strengthen our Volunteer system and encourage others to also take part in the safety and welfare of our community. If elected, I will work toward better training funds, gasoline reimbursement, and will work to unfreeze positions that need to be filled with in the Fire ranks. I will also work aggressively on a real incentive package that will encourage current Volunteers to stay on board as fire fighters and to bring new ones into the fold. I have a tremendous respect for those in the community that commit their lives in the service and care of others. If elected, I will work to make sure that these quality services continue to be available to the citizens of Augusta whenever and wherever they are needed.

Education:
Education is vital for our economy, our children, our government, and our future. If elected, I will work side by side with the school board in terms of budgeting and other needs to make sure that every dollar put toward education is used to its fullest and not wasted. I will frequently be checking in with the school board representatives and will attend their meetings to hear the concerns of the parents in our community."


The Beverley Manor District.

Real Estate Assessments

New Bill Would Level the Playing Field for Homeowners

By Victoria Cobb

One of the biggest aggravations – and financial hardships – local governments place on taxpaying families is the assessments on their property. Not only are local property tax rates often much too high, the assessments are as well, resulting in a double infliction of financial pain.

Of course, by law, localities must allow homeowners an appeals process if a homeowner thinks the assessment is too high. But, as usual in Virginia, we have laws to remedy a problem that are nothing more than window dressing. In fact, Virginia’s assessment appeals process is counterproductive to a fair appeal. It’s almost like an IRS appeal where you are guilty until proven innocent. In the case of an assessment appeal, you must prove the assessor wrong – he or she has no burden to prove your property is valued at fair market value. It is such a stacked system that most aggrieved families don’t even attempt to appeal and end up paying more than they should of their hard-earned income in local property taxes. [Been there, done that]

Now, we have a chance to reform this overly slanted playing field in favor of the government to a level playing field through legislation patroned by Delegate Sal Iaquinto (R-84, Virginia Beach), HB 570 [click to read]. It passed the House and will be voted on in the Senate Finance Committee Wednesday!

According to the bill’s fiscal impact statement: This bill “would shift the burden of proof from the taxpayer to the assessor when the taxpayer appeals the assessment of real property to a Board of Equalization or to a circuit court, and would remove the presumption that the assessor’s valuation of real property is correct. The assessor would have the burden of proving that the property in question is valued at its fair market value or that the assessment is uniform in its application, or that the assessment is otherwise valid or legal.” Currently, in all such cases, the taxpayer has the burden of proving that the property in question is valued at more than its fair market value – and is “required to produce substantial evidence that the valuation determined by the assessor is erroneous and was not arrived at in accordance with generally accepted appraisal practice in order to receive relief.”

Please contact members of the committee and ask them to report this bill to the floor so that taxpayers, homeowners and families finally can receive a bit of tax fairness.

ACTION: Contact your Senator and ask them to pass HB 570!

Update: Augusta County Weighs In [click to read]. ht/SWAC Girl

The System Failed, Slay the Messenger

Francis Chester Sanctioned for Challenging Assessments

Judge Victor Ludwig likened him to 'Robin Hood' and slapped him with a $2000 fine for bringing a lawsuit against the county government on behalf of 10,500 citizens to roll back 2009 real estate assessments to 2005 values.

Robin Hood, you may recall, was fighting for the people who were struggling under abusive confiscation by the government too.

More from SWAC Girl [click to read].

Quote of the Day!

An Honest Question for the Board of Supervisors

"What do you do with all this money that y'all are taking from us?"--Fred Parker, Shenandoah County resident, addressing Board of Supervisors (10/29/09)

More from SWAC Girl [click to read]. Hundreds are turning out in Shenandoah County to fight the same battle we are fighting in Augusta.

Francis Chester and Thomas Jefferson

The Citizen Farmer Patriot Still Lives...


The Augusta County Courthouse. Modern lawmakers would do well to remember the voices of those who preceded them. That might help them recognize the voices they need to heed in our day.

...and we KNOW one! SWAC Girl Continues to Tell His Story [click to read].

If it were 1776 we all know what Mr. Chester would be up to.

Hard Days for the First Amendment

Attempts to Chill Free Speech, Local and National:


Every seat was filled as Augusta residents protested the assessment process. Many who came had to sit in the hallway or were turned away. Francis Chester spoke for thousands of county residents as he presented petitions to roll back assessed values.

Don't Challenge County Assessments

Lynn Has More to Say [click to read] about the 'sanctions' the county seeks to impose on Francis Chester. The message they're sending is clear: "Don't mess with us as we assess."

Hard Days for the First Amendment

Attempts to Chill Free Speech, Local and National:


Hundreds of thousands of marchers passed by the First Amendment etched in stone on September 12.

Don't Challenge County Assessments

At least that is the message being sent to attorney Francis Chester, who's attempt to roll back property values to 2005 levels was thrown out of court. Now the county wants to sanction him over the lawsuit. County officials should chill on this one. Residents and businesses faced the possibility of massive tax increases as assessors applied the spiked values of 2006 and largely ignored the subsequent fall of values. Although the rate was reduced there was no guarantee that this would happen. Mr. Chester's challenge was a reasonable exercise of First Amendment rights given the circumstances surrounding the assessment process this time.

Don't Read the Fine Print

HR 3200 was over a thousand pages and yet we were told that it had to be pushed through in record time. There wasn't time to read it. When we did get a chance to read it we were shocked to see the framework for rationing, including illegal aliens and many other problems. When Joe Wilson dared to point out the President's prevarication it was Wilson who was raked over the coals.

'Hate Crimes,' ENDA and the 'Fairness Doctrine'

These all have chilling effect on people exercising their rights. The party in power is the sole determiner of who is 'threatened' by certain ideas, who you might be required to hire even though they disagree with your moral standards and who on the radio needs to be 'balanced out.'

In a letter to the Democrat Base, Bill Clinton asserts: "...the Republican base is energized. Using ultra-conservatives like Newt Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh, Dick Cheney and Sarah Palin..." Rush always makes the list. Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck do most of the time too. The point is that they consider certain voices "dangerous" and will use just about any legal technicality they can to silence them. They've used Limbaugh's statement: "I want everything he's doing to fail" as a stand alone quote, forgetting the fact that he's speaking of the largest expansion of government oversight ever envisioned.

So who's protecting our rights and freedoms? The American Civil Liberties Union claims to. In a letter to their base, the ACLU talks about "restoring our liberties and renewing American freedom." Sounds good, but read on: Their big priorities are as follows:

1. Ending U.S. involvement in warrantless eavesdropping on Americans. [apparently they forget the dangers we face from terrorists and the fact that their icon, JFK used it extensively, even considering Dr. Martin Luther King a potential threat].

2. Ending U.S. taxpayer support for "faith-based initiatives" that provide public funding for programs that practice religious discrimination. [problem is Faith based programs are effective, and those in prisons, for example, actually SAVE taxpayer dollars because of their strikingly lower recitivism rates].

3.Bringing the Patriot Act in line with the Constitution.

4. Ending government funding of abstinence-only programs. [why? they are effective and many parents WANT them].

5. Challenging restrictions on same-sex marriage and other forms of discrimination against LGBT people. [most States have voted to retain the traditional definition of marriage and that is what the majority wants, not restrictions on other forms of partnership].

6. Reversing policies that have thrown batrriers and restrictions in the path of women seeking to exercise their reproductive freedom. [that's a mouthful but it simply means ending any restrictions on abortion and making it a 'right'].

Also the letter waxes long about agressively investigating the Bush administration. Nowhere could I find a word about protecting our religious liberties or the freedom of our radio stations to broadcast unfettered by any 'fairness doctrine.' Nowhere did I see a committment to protect pastors' rights to free speech.

The ACLU was founded ninety years ago by Roger Baldwin. He was a socialist thinker who said things like: "America must follow the example of Stalin's Soviet Union where greater freedoms exist than anywhere else in the world". Wow, I never would have known from the history I read! Knowing America would never follow the path to 'social u[dys]topia because of her Judeo-Christian foundations, Baldwin set out to diminish the influence of Christianity in America.

For 80 years the ACLU has twisted the Constitution to exclude Christianity from the public square and the public discourse. That sense of mission is what drives the endless stream of lawsuits against prayer and Christian expression. That is why your kid's 'religious' message is excluded from the poster contest. That's why the school 'Winter Holiday' assembly is devoid of sacred traditional music. Thankfully there is the Alliance Defense Fund [click to read] which was founded to counter this destructive movement.

Her Passion Speaks for Millions

Today on Rush Limbaugh's show a woman named Susan called. Her passion and frustration were evident over a president and Congress who seem determined NOT to hear the voice of the American people. Rush let her talk for ten minutes and then only interrupted her for the required commercial break. Then he brought her back for more. She lamented that there seemed to be nothing she could do.

May I suggest that Susan's ten minutes are what the First Amendment is all about.

A lot of us were listening to our radios and we stopped what we were doing to follow her more closely. She spoke for all of us.

Listen to Susan [click to listen] at RushLimbaugh.com

Google Earth for Tax Assessors

Beta Test Version Released


Screen shot from Beta Test Version of Google Earth for Tax Assessors.

It should be pretty obvious that now that the BOS have 'preserved' the questionable assessment that now they'll meet and lower the rate. This will in all likelihood be somewhat revenue positive but will [they hope] accomplish a degree of rage-reduction. Since the assessments vary so much, you reduce the number of really angry citizens [they hope] at this stage.

But let's visit Michigan where the State Senate is even now considering a new form of taxation designed to get you in the end. This bill creates a new government bureaucracy to oversee the ongoing inspections of septic tanks. Home and business owners would be responsible to pay the fee for these inspections. The cost of new construction would also increase as a result of the additional fee. The taxpayer would also be on the hook to pay for the newly created On-site Wastewater Treatment System Advisory Council and the Alternative System Technical Advisory Committee. Eternal vigilence right?

Update: Absurdity Illustration Gone Scary

It happens a lot to Rush Limbaugh, he sets out to illustrate the absurdity of some policy by making a joke only to find it playing out in reality. So check out How Tax Assessors are Using Google Earth [click to read] from their own blog!

Round Two

The Clock is Ticking...

Today is the last day to make an appointment for assessment appeals. The County Assessor's Office Number: 245-5628

I am now told that Blue Ridge Mass Appraisals has the worksheets. I was given this number for Blue Ridge Mass Appraisals: 1-800-248-7100 but no one answers the phone there today.

Update:

I've got my appointment with the assessment people. It's time to review the steps of: How to Contest an Assessment [click to read] and find some comparables.


A tree along the Blue Ridge Parkway

Taxation Without Representation

600 Augusta County Residents Learn How to Hold Government Accountable

The envelope from the assessor's office is never really a welcome piece of mail, but the contents this time rivaled the IRS "we have examined your return..." notice as Augusta residents looked at hefty increases in land valuation that were based on sales during the 'boom' that has since busted. Since assessments are supposed to be based on the value at the first of the year, the numbers are not valid by proper application of the law.

SWAC Girl: Augusta: 600 turn out to protest assessments [click to read]

The firm that performed the assesments, citizens learned, had recently completed a reassessment of adjoining Bath County that had been discarded after residents there brought discrepancies to light. More on Bath County Assessments from the Roanoke Times [click to read]. Attorney Francis Chester of Churchville pointed out the dangers in allowing this assessment to stand. A similar process led to the increased taxation of Long Island farmers that led to the decline of Long Island's agricultural economy.

Citizens were urged to mke a unified appeal to the supervisors, Write letters to the editor, and obtain the actual worksheets for their assesments from the county. They should obtain their own comparibles and make an appointment for review of their assessment.

They need to retain a copy of their worksheet and any other infomation in the event it is necessary to enter into a class-action lawsuit.

Mr. Cester is circulating a petition among the citizens and it is important to sign it and return before March 9.

March 11, 2009 at 7:00pm is a very important meeting of the Board of Supervisors. All Concerned Citizens Should Attend this meeting at the County Government Center in Verona. At that meeting the petitions will be presented and supervisor Tracy Piles will introduce a motion to roll back the assessments to the 2005 figures.

Here in our own community is a perfect civics lesson in keeping government accountable. May we learn it well.

Hat Tips to Lynn Mitchell

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." -- American Declaration of Independence

Of Interest:

News Virginian Article [click to read]
A storm damaged shack gets high assessment in Gloucester County, a mansion has no value...

Editorial: Put Brakes on Assessment [click to read]
"All of this demands that county officials give Augusta’s reassessment a second, more scrutinous look. So far indications are from supervisors – Pyles aside – that they will proceed as per usual, working through appeals then setting a tax rate. This is insufficient. Ample cause exists to wonder over the fairness and accuracy of the numbers. Supervisors will fail in their duty if they allow the reassessment to take effect so long as such questions linger. Taxpayers deserve better and should insist upon it. We do so on their behalf."

The Shack and the Mansion from Dailypress.com [click to read]