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.

'Of the People'

A Representative's First Mandate is to Represent

Here is the big take-away from last night's board of supervisors meeting. At one point we were lectured that our distaste for following laws was why we have so many problems as a Nation. Wrong! Isn't our distaste for opressive mandates the reason we have a Nation in the first place? Not that I am advocating wanton civil disobedience here but it is clear that our founding fathers saw unchecked government as a major problem. In fact, it was seen as disobedience of a more basic set of laws, the rights and dignity asserted by our Creator.

Tracy Pyles and Jeremy Shifflett are following in the finest tradition of our representative government when they seek to give us a voice in the face of unclear State mandates that result in shoddy and unfair tax policy. They are to be commended for recognizing the higher law that binds us together as a free people.


A patriot from the past.

Massive Protest of Mass Appraisal

Augusta Supervisors Reject Motion to Scrap Assessment

Augusta residents filled two meeting rooms and a hallway as many more were turned away for lack of space. Over forty people spoke to the board asking how land values were being raised 30 to 100% at a time when Nationwide they have declined an average of 18%! Clearly few were comfortable with how the process had played out and the rush by the board to certify the results. Most people I talked to had gone for a hearing. None had heard back from Blue Ridge Mass Appraisals. Clearly the work was not finished and the hasty certification raised questions.

Frustration was in the air but the crowd was friendly. Strong sentiments were expressed and crowd reaction was strong enough to be gavelled down a few times but the large number of deputies on hand for the event ended up functioning as ushers for what turned out to be a very orderly group.

Francis Chester had 10,047 Signatures [click to read] to his petition and he brought up some clear conflicts of interest on the part of the Assessment company. The owner, David Hickey and his family do own considerable properties in Augusta. Hickey Defends the Reassessment [click to read] in a News-Leader editorial. He is quick to point out how the bubble grew but cannot seem to come to terms with the bubble's burst. Unfortunately the best comparables are the ones that have sat on the market for over a year even at greatly reduced prices. They don't become statistics on Mr. Hickey's computer model, as they have not been recorded as sales.

Supervisor Tracy Pyles motioned to set aside the 2008 assessment and was seconded by Beverly Manor Supervisor Jeremy Shifflett . Riverheads Supervisor Nancy Sorrells said she didn't think Virginia code allowed them to touch the assessment and spoke in opposition to Pyles' motion. In the end it was a 5 to 2 vote with Pyles and Shifflet standing alone.

Here is the News Virginian Story [click to read]


Every seat was filled. Another meeting room was filled and people sat in the hallways.

How big was the crowd? The Largest Ever for A BOS Meeting [click to read] as reported by SWAC Girl. A thousand or more! Francis Chester had asked the County to provide a larger venue and it was obvious that people were turned away in the end.