Monday, March 16, 2009

Albemarle BOS votes down tax increase

From Keith Drake and Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance (ATTA)....

You Spoke--They Listened! Albemarle Supervisors have last-minute change of heart and defeat tax increase!

By a 6-0 vote at their meeting last Wednesday, the Albemarle Board of Supervisors voted for a "Proposed Tax Rate" of 74.2 cents / $100 assessed value. That rate is the highest rate the BoS can adopt at its final budget meeting on April 8th, and represents the tax rate that keeps taxes the same as last year on the average homeowner.

With their vote, this year's proposed tax increase (presented as a "rainy day fund, only to be used if we really need it") was defeated, although several of the Supervisors appeared to support the tax increase up until the vote.

We did not defeat the concept of a Rainy Day Fund -- ATTA agrees that good fiscal management should include such a contingency fund.

Rather, we defeated a tax increase to create such a fund -- an especially poor idea in these times of economic distress many of us are experiencing.

ATTA is committed to working with the county government, to show them how to create a Rainy Day Fund from existing revenues ...

... by spending the money we already collect more effectively and efficiently.

ATTA feels the "Form 4" exercise launched nearly two years ago, and the recent Resource Management Review provide many opportunities to save money and provide the same (or better) level of services.

ATTA Thanks All Who Helped!

In our latest video, ATTA Chairman Keith C. Drake recaps last week's vote by the Board of Supervisors, and recognizes those who helped swing the vote of several of the supervisors.

Watch our latest YouTube video by CLICKING HERE.

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