Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 25, 1992 TAG: 9203250099
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
Dublin Town Councilman Colbern Linkous made the lone objection. He said Dublin would not be raising its taxes and neither should the county.
The county's real estate tax rate was reduced from 75 cents to 70 cents per $100 valuation.
However, with the recently-completed county reassessment generally raising real estate values, it would have had to be 64 cents to generate roughly the same revenue. So the lower 70-cent rate is actually a six-cent increase.
It amounts to $36 more in county taxes on a $60,000 home, according to figures provided by County Administrator Joseph Morgan.
Linkous, who had been one of four speakers opposing an increase at last week's public hearing on the tax rate, said local governments should hold the line on taxes because of the recession.
"We are doing it in the town. I think it can be done in the county," he said.
The county's other town, Pulaski, is keeping its current 34-cent tax rate. Because of the reassessment, though, the effect is that of a 3-cent increase.
Town residents also pay county property taxes.
Supervisor Bruce Fariss said the county has expenses that towns do not, such as supporting the school system, rebuilding the courthouse and meeting federal and state mandates.
"I don't like paying my taxes anymore than anybody else," he said, but "I want my kids and the kids in this county to get the best education they can get, so I support the school system - maybe not as much as they would like."
School officials are currently trying to pare down their budget request.
"Things come down to us from federal and state levels that we cannot control," Fariss added. "We've done the best we can as a board."
Chairman Jerry White agreed and added what he called "a little bit of legislative-bashing," blaming the General Assembly members for imposing requirements on localities and making the localities pay for them.
"They are the ones that are driving costs up," he said. "They just continue to put the mandates on the localities. They do not put any money up front to pay for these."
Supervisor Joe Sheffey said some of the budget will go toward maintaining school-wide computers purchased through a bond issue approved by voters. He noted that voters approved a later bond issue for courthouse work.
Supervisor Mason Vaughan added his vote without comment, making it unanimous. Ira S. "Pete" Crawford, the remaining supervisors, was out of town.
by CNB