Just like two years ago, assessments of Albemarle County real estate value are going up again sharply, likely around the level of the 18.7% increase in ’03, WINA reports. The biannual assessments are based on the actual value of homes, and do not reflect any action or decision on the part of the county; they are a product of the free market. Still, reassessments piss people off, and as the notices begin to go out, there’s no reason to expect otherwise this time around.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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rest assured your tax dollars will go towards buying bigger and stronger flower pots to protect the county municipal building.
I liked the city’s approach last year — a rate cut to offset the increase in property assessments. It would be good and reasonable of the county to do the same.
Waldo you said, "tax me til I bleed" at a city council meeting. Have you changed?
BTW, the rate cut by the city was a token and did not "offset" the increase.
Waldo you said, “tax me til I bleed” at a city council meeting. Have you changed?
Wrong. But thanks for playing.
At a forum being held two years ago by Charlottesville’s representatives in Richmond, we were asked if we would be willing to personally pay more tax in order to offset the budget crisis, since in the previous budget cycle, everything that could be cut had been cut. I stood up and said that I, personally, would be quite happy to pay a higher rate of taxes in the immediate future for the purpose of offsetting the fiscal disaster created by the reckless mismanagement of the budget by Gov. Jim Gilmore. Many people stood up to say the same, and virtually nobody — perhaps nobody at all — said otherwise. Warner listened, and saved the state economy through a combination
Of course, that does not mean that, then and forever, I’d like to be taxed to death. Quite to the contrary, I have no interest in paying any more taxes than are necessary to sustain the services that we choose to provide. Two years ago, taxes had been cut to the point that we could not pay our bills. I’m grateful that our taxes were increased to repair that problem.
It shows a reckless disregard for reality to imply that I favor ludicrously high taxes just for the hell of it. But you know that.
Well Waldo, I don`t know your income level, or your holdings, and of course it is none of my business, but I will say, and I am speaking in general now, I become a little tired of hearing from many sources, "raise taxes , – it`s for our kids, the MPW, more bricks in Court Square, or whatever" , and in many cases the ones who speak the loudest in this vein would not be affected by a rise in taxes as they pay little or nothing anyway.
Waldo,
Reckless disregard for reality my ass. You sound like a preacher. I just remember you saying, "tax me til I bleed". I’m not trying to make you look like anything. Your too defensive. Why is that? Maybe you should think before you use extreme hyperbole at public hearings.
Your wrong too, when you say that the piddling tax rate reduction "offset" the increase in taxes due to the increased assessments. The tax rate reduction was a crumb compared to the huge slice of my pie that the assessment increase took.
At the moment, I pay very little in taxes, as I’m a nearly income-less student. I’ve never made enough to be severely affected by increases in taxes, but I’ve certainly seen the rise and fall over the years.
That said, my interest then — and now — is in seeing us meet our obligations. We had our taxes cut severely by Gilmore, saw that the resulting income was too little to fund our obligations, and so we raised them to a higher level. We’re still not funding our obligations, but it’s a start.
As a college student in a public university, I’ve seen the horrible, horrible effects of Gilmore’s evisceration of our economy. Incoming freshmen have been told that it will take 5 years to graduate. Why? Not enough money to pay teachers to have enough classes. I’m a political science major. Next semester I’m taking — no joke — Catering Management, Introduction to the Internet, Insects & Human Society, and Travel & Tourism Management. Why would I take such ridiculous classes? It’s all I can get. I’m desperate. We’re all desperate. And there is no space in any classes to accommodate me. Catering Management it is, because, hey, three credits is three credits.
If we’re going to have public universities, we have to fund them. That means being taxed at the level that’s necessary to do so. That’s the cost of being a member of civilized society.
You sound like a preacher.
Thank you.
Your wrong too, when you say that the piddling tax rate reduction “offset” the increase in taxes due to the increased assessments.
What do you want, a cookie? You can repeat that as often as you like, I suppose, but no cookie for you. I linked initially to the discussion that took place at the time, where it was thoroughly established that the offset was far from complete. A complete offset would have been better, but it’s a start.
Waldo,
I was wrong. You sound more like a politician than a preacher.
If you want to make me happy then swallow your pride and just say something like, "Okay I was wrong, the rate reduction only partially offset the big increase in tax bills from higher assessments". The link to old threads doesn’t do that. Oh yeah, I like chocolate chip.
Waldo,
You finally said what needed to be said. I go to UVa and I know what the bloated deficits have caused. Maybe to all the rich kids it doesnt matter but as a student who can hardly afford college as it is underfunded education is the last thing we need. I dont understand why so many people want something for nothing. People call the left tax and spend liberals well what are they? Spend and spend conservatives? Fact is you cant have what you want without taxes. Just this week it was released that VA Beach officials lost 75 million in funding for replenishing eroded sand….I wonder how the rich will feel when their beach house sinks into the ocean…. Other things the (state) deficits have caused us? Road contruction, education funding, park upkeep, etc…. Im not saying raise taxes to insane levels Im just saying give up this I dont want to pay taxes but I want all the benefits of tax revenue… Greenspan released the deficit is hurting the economy because the value of the dollar is going down (means higher prices), interest rates are going up…. WHAT? Does he mean deficits DO matter???? What an insane assertion.
“Next semester I’m taking — no joke — Catering Management, Introduction to the Internet, Insects & Human Society, and Travel & Tourism Management. Why would I take such ridiculous classes?”
because you go to VT? :^)
sorry, had to do it. esp. after i dropped $200 to go down to blacksburg for that travesty of a game this past weekend. but i won’t get into that. pisses me off to much to think about it.
Waldo, I think I speak for everybody here when I say that we’re expecting you to do a little better than "okay" in your Introduction to the Internet class.
I’d just like to make the point that not everyone thinks it’s the government’s place to be all things to all people. Fact is that a lot of the taxes are going to pay "obligations" (Waldo’s word) that many people don’t think the government should’ve had a hand in in the first place. Welfare, for a very broad instance. Government spending, on the national, state, and local level is often considered a joke. There’s a reason for that.
Also, the U.S. spends more on public education to have a worse public education system than some other nations do. It’s sad but true. Throwing money at the problem just doesn’t seem to be the answer. What is the answer you ask? Good question! Don’t know.
I’m not arguing with you, I’m just sayin’ that your diatribe will sell a lot better to people who already like the idea of big government, and won’t budge people who don’t.
Indeed!
Of course "not everyone thinks it’s the government’s place to be all things to all people". I daresay virtually nobody thinks that’s the case.
But, there are many things that government can and should do on behalf of its citizens, and universal public education is, in my opinion, one of them. You bet, the U.S. spends more on public education to have a worse system than some other nations do. The U.S. also spends more on private health care to have a worse system than some other nations (with public/universal health care) do.
I do know that in many African nations, there is not free public education and children are trapped in poverty and ignorance, because their families cannot afford tuition and required school uniforms.
Those who follow the "starve the beast" policies pushed by the creepy Grover Norquist and his ilk (cut taxes so that services provided by government will be so terrible that people will give up on government’s ability to meet the public’s needs) will have much to answer for if they succeed.
When you say the US spends more on public schools than other nations does that meant that the money spent per child than any other country or just more in general. If in general then u have to realize that we have a HUGE education system. I realize that throwing money at the problem wont make it better but what it will do is solve a lot of problems that exist. Do you think a child in inner city Richmond receives the same quality education as a kid in Albemarle county? Of course it isnt Alebmarles fault but its not a kids fault in inner city Richmond either. I know most people have the philosphy that ALL is equal in this country and that the poor are generally poor because they "want to be" or because theyre lazy and want a hand out… But for gods sake give the kids a chance. If you are going to fund anything in this country let it be education. UVa has to go to charter status for this very reason. The state and fed. government imposing rules that they dont fund. Back to the main issue. Deficits matter, I wish people would understand that. We cant fund what we want fully if the government keep obsesive spending, war(s), more burecratic systems, all while cutting taxes for the rich.