ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, April 11, 1997 TAG: 9704110092
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN THE ROANOKE TIMES
This week's Montgomery County tax increase will affect all county landowners, including the seven people who voted on it.
When the Montgomery County supervisors voted this week to raise the real-estate tax rate, they weren't just impacting county residents' wallets. They were affecting their own as well.
The seven Board of Supervisors members will see tax increases ranging from $14.42 to $176.67. Nick Rush will see the lowest tax increase, while Joe Stewart - a major county property owner - will see the highest.
The supervisors voted 4-3 Monday to increase the real-estate tax rate by 2 cents, to 72 cents per $100 of assessed value, as part of the 1997-98 county budget of $77.28 million. An increase of up to 6 cents had been advertised, but the supervisors have rarely adopted a tax increase that high, raising the tax rate only three times since 1991 including last year's penny increase to 70 cents.
The tax increase means the owner of a piece of property assessed at $100,000 will see a tax increase of $20 a year, or 3 percent. The increase will first show up in the county tax bills due in June. The 1997-98 budget takes effect July 1.
Supervisors Stewart, Henry Jablonski and Ira Long voted against the 2-cent increase. The trio supported smaller increases for fear of alienating voters in a possible bond referendum to build new schools. They are also sympathetic to working-class families who can't afford more taxes. Even supervisors who supported the tax increase often cite the second reason as a concern, because property taxes are regressive, meaning they are levied without regard to income differences.
Montgomery County's real estate taxes are split into two payments and are due June 5 and Dec. 5. So instead of paying $252.35 twice, Rush will pay $259.56 under the new tax rate, or an additional $7.71 each time. Stewart will fork over $3,180.10 each time instead of $3,091.76, or an additional $88.33 each time.
Supervisors Rush, Mary Biggs and Jim Moore own only their homes and accompanying lots in Montgomery County. Supervisors Joe Gorman and Jablonski own their homes and two other pieces of real estate. Long owns two houses and lots, and an additional piece of property. Records in the treasurer's office show Stewart, a farmer and livestock salesman, owns 16 pieces of property throughout the county including his home in Shawsville and livestock market in Christiansburg. The property adds up to 2,546 acres, and most of it is in land-use protection, which is taxed at a lower rate. Stewart also has extensive land holdings in Floyd County.
The accompanying chart shows what each supervisor currently pays in taxes and how much the 2-cent increase will cost them. What Montgomery County supervisors pay in real estate taxes
Supervisor House and Land 1996-97 taxes 1997-98 taxes DIFF.
value .70 per $100 .72 per $100
Mary Biggs $80,500 $563.50 $579.60 $16.13
home and lot
Joe Gorman $161,100 $1,127.70 $1,159.92 $32.22
home and lot, two pieces of property
Henry Jablonski $100,600 $704.20 $724.32 $20.12
home and lot, two pieces of property
Ira Long $167,600 $1,173.20 $1,206.72 $33.52
two homes and lots; one piece of property
James Moore
home and lot $176,600 $1,236.20 $1,271.52 $35.32
Nick Rush
home and lot $72,100 $504.70 $519.12 $14.42
Joe Stewart $1.49 million $6,183.52 $6,360.19 $176.67
16 pieces assessed at $885,360**
including home, livestock market.
*Does not include Blacksburg and Christiansburg real estate taxes, where applicable.
**Much of Stewart's property is in land use protection and assessed at a lower rate.
Source: Montgomery County Treasurer's Office records.
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