ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, April 5, 1997 TAG: 9704070083
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BEDFORD
SOURCE: JOANNE POINDEXTER THE ROANOKE TIMES
From the phone calls they've received, supervisors expect a standing-room-only crowd for a public hearing on the budget at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Liberty High School.
Supervisor Dale Wheeler said the supervisors have to make some difficult decisions.
"The bottom line is growth, and growth is expensive," Wheeler said.
Supervisors have advertised increases in real-estate and personal property taxes and the vehicle decal fee to balance the 1997-98 budget.
Supervisors advertised an increase of 26 cents in the real estate rate, making it 75 cents per $100 assessed value. That would bring in $6.9 million. Under the current 49 cents real estate tax rate, a person owning a $75,000 home, pays $367.50 in taxes. At the advertised rate, that person would pay $562.50.
The board also advertised a $5 increase in vehicle decals and an increase in the personal property tax rate by $2 to $8.50.
Several supervisors said they have heard from county residents who are adamantly against increasing taxes.
During the last six weeks, supervisors have trimmed a $94 million proposed budget, based on departmental requests, down to $88.4 million. But there's still about a $6.5 million shortfall. That's where the tax increases come in.
"A lot of people I talk to realize there needs to be some increase [in taxes], but we need to stay in the single digits," said Supervisor Roger Cheek. "I don't want to see a large tax increase, and I won't stand for one. A lot of our people are on fixed incomes and can't stand any increase at all."
Cheek said he thinks there are some budget items that can be delayed, but that the board should address handicapped accessibility and security needs of the courthouse.
He also thinks the school budget, which is seeking more than $6 million more this fiscal year, could be trimmed.
"I'm not against education, but I think on the School Board side, they need to be a little more responsible with their spending," Cheek said.
County Administrator Bill Rolfe said it is a given that taxes will have to be increased, but they "won't increase as much as we advertised."
Bedford County, however, still has lower real-estate taxes than any of the nine localities surrounding it, Rolfe said. Seven of the counties have higher personal property levies, and eight of them have higher vehicle decal fees. Bedford, however, levies a higher machinery and tools tax.
The county is operating on a $79.3 million budget this fiscal year, and much of the increase in the proposed budget is from an increased school budget request and other departmental requests for new personnel to keep up with the county's growth.
The school system's $54 million budget includes $18.9 million in local funds, about $5.6 million more than this fiscal year.
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