Budgets to be introduced in Amherst, Goochland; Transient occupancy tax ordinances to be amended in Appomattox, Amherst
Plus: Nelson County and Amherst County supervisors to meet to talk about joint agricultural complex
Another week in local government in Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District! This is the first of at least three editions. Possibly more! If you’re new, this is an experimental newsletter intended to bring more awareness of what’s happening in local governments across the district. This is a product of Town Crier Productions, a company I set up in 2020 to resume my career in journalism. My interest is local government, and my hope is you’ll learn about what makes up the Fifth District as I do.
In this installment for meetings all happening on Tuesday:
Both Amherst and Appomattox will make changes to their transient occupancy tax ordinances to become more in line with recent changes in Virginia law with regard to how intermediary companies like AirBnB pay taxes.
Both Amherst and Goochland will take a look at their administrators’ recommended budgets for FY2024. This is the season for that sort of thing, so expect more meetings. I wish I could cover all of the deliberations, but my hope is to learn how different places approach the creation of this document. Coming up Wednesday: Albemarle County!
Amherst Supervisors and Nelson Supervisors will meet Tuesday to discuss the potential of a joint agricultural complex along U.S. 29. I hope there’s a video on this.
More tomorrow from Pittsylvania County, Charlottesville, and Danville. Also possibly that story from Nelson County, and maybe some election information. Doing this newsletter invigorates me. Please ask questions and send it on to others you think might be interested!
Amherst Supervisors to discuss agricultural complex with Nelson Supervisors, hold budget work session
The five-member Amherst County Board of Supervisors will begin their second meeting in February at 4 p.m. with a joint work session with the five-member Nelson County Board of Supervisors. They’re going to talk about the potential agricultural complex. More on that tomorrow, but if you can’t wait, here’s a brief description from the Week Ahead that has already been posted on my Charlottesville Community Engagement feed.
At 5:30 p.m., Amherst Supervisors will go into a budget work session. They’ll get a presentation on revenue projections, the proposed operating and maintenance budget for fiscal year 2024, and will review results from a request for proposals for health care coverage for FY24. (meeting info)
First, revenue projections.
“Revenues are derived from a variety of sources and each takes a measure of Estimation,” reads the staff report. “Board members are invited to challenge staff assumptions and buffers built into the projections.”
Then, the budget.
“This budget presents the anticipated expenses during Fiscal Year July 2023-June 2024
(FY24),” reads the staff report. “It assumes that the government takes on no new projects, purchases, programs, or additional expenses beyond those there is reason to believe will rise of their own accord.”
And those health insurance costs? They’re going up even with the lowest bidder.
“We knew when we went to bid in November 2022 that we were likely to experience an increase in medical insurance costs due to very high medical claims-loss ratios during the past two plan years and the impact of inflation,” reads that staff report. “Piedmont Community Health Plan (PCHP) was the least expensive medical insurance option at a negotiated 17% increase in rates.”
After the budget work session, Amherst Supervisors will have their regular meeting at 7 p.m. (meeting info)
There are two public hearings.
The first is for a special exception for a couple who seek to rent out a dwelling as a short-term rental on land at 243 Christian Springs Road zoned for agricultural use. This one is within 500 feet of a dwelling unit which requires Board action. This is very similar to the process used in Albemarle County.
The other is a change to the transient occupancy tax ordinance to clarify how companies like AirBnB are treated in Amherst County.
“With the growth of accommodation intermediaries being used to make reservations for hotels, motels, inns, short-term rentals and other types of accommodation, the Commissioners of the Revenue Association of Virginia has been looking for ways to enhance local transient occupancy tax ordinances in order to make sure the payment of such tax is being done appropriately and that necessary information is being provided by such intermediaries,” reads the staff report. “The proposed changes to the County's transient occupancy tax ordinance is based upon the Association's efforts to develop a uniform type of ordinance for all localities to use and benefit from.”
There will also be an update on the Firefly Broadband Fiber expansion.
There will also be a resolution to dedicate the Sara Lu Christian trail.
“The Amherst County Recreation Advisory Board is asking the Board of Supervisors to name the Riveredge Trail after Former Director of Parks and Recreation Sara Lu Christian,” reads that staff report. “They want to honor her because of her 32 years of service to the County and the hard work put in to make Riveredge Park a reality.”
Appomattox County to amend short-term rental regulations; Congressman Good to make appearance
The five-member Board of Supervisors in Appomattox County will meet at 171 Price Lane in Appomattox at 6 p.m. in the Supervisors’ meeting room. (agenda packet)
After the call to order, the Pledge of Allegiance, and an invocation, there will be a budget work session.
That will be followed by a public comment period from community members.
There are four public appearances scheduled.
First, an auditor with Robinson, Farmer, Cox Associates will present the final audit for FY2022. There was a slight delay.
Next, Melissa Lucy of Horizon Behavioral Health will introduce herself to the Appomattox Board of Supervisors. She has recently appeared before elected officials in Amherst and Bedford County. See Justin Faulconer’s article in the February 11 Lynchburg News & Advance.
After that the coordinator of the county’s compliance with the Virginia Children’s Services Act will appear before the Board.
Next, Fifth District Representative Congressman Bob Good.
“Congressman Bob Good is visiting the Appomattox Christian Academy and touring the ‘proposed’ VoTech Center this evening,” reads the agenda. “The Congressman requested to speak briefly to the Board prior to his tour of the center.”
There is one public hearing and that is to amend the county’s transient ordinance tax. It’s the same basic idea behind the proposal in Amherst County.
“Current language will be deleted and new code language will be adopted to make the hosting intermediary (known as accommodation intermediaries such as AirBnB, Vrbo, etc.) responsible for collecting and paying the tax,” reads the agenda. “The amount if the tax will not change, only collection responsibilities will be modified.”
Under action items, the town of Appomattox is seeking a waiver of a building permit fee for construction activities at the old train depot at 214 Main Street. There will also be a presentation of the various agreements between the country’s registrar and various polling places. There is a proposal to change the address for the Spout Spring precinct and a request to schedule a public hearing for March 20.
There is a resolution to approve Appomattox County’s participation in the proposed settlement of opioid claims with several corporations including Teva, Allergen, Walmart, Walgreens, and CVS.
Goochland to be presented with FY24 budget
The five-member Board of Supervisors in Goochland County meets Tuesday at 2 p.m. in Board Meeting Room 250 at 1800 Sandy Hook Road in Goochland. (meeting packet)
After the call to order, the invocation, and the Pledge of Allegiance, there are several items of new business. The first is the presentation of the $138,706,148 budget for FY24 from County Administrator Victor Carpenter, followed by presentations from the Sheriff’s Office and the Fire-Rescue Department. There’s also an authorization to advertise a public hearing for the proposed real estate tax rate for 2023.
Then various resolutions to authorize various other public hearings related to the budget, including a fee schedule. The documents appear to indicate that Goochland will continue to maintain a rate of $0.53 per $100 of assessed value. Assessments went up in Goochland an average of 9.6 percent. Here’s more from the public notice:
“The tax rate which would levy the same amount of real estate tax as last year, when multiplied by the new total assessed value of real estate with the exclusions mentioned above, would be $0.47 per $100 of assessed value,” the notice continues. “This rate will be known as the ‘lowered tax rate.’”
There’s also the effective tax rate.
“The County of Goochland proposes to adopt a tax rate of $0.53 per $100 of assessed value,” the notice continues. “The difference between the lowered tax rate and the proposed rate would be $0.06 per $100, or 12.8 percent.”
The public hearing would be scheduled for April 4, 2023.
In other meetings:
The Campbell County Board of Supervisors will have a work session at 6 p.m. in the Haberer Building. The only item on the agenda is an overview of the county’s public works department. There’s no information in the packet and no information about the department on the county’s website. So, this is a good way for anyone to learn! (meeting portal)
Reading material when you’re done with this newsletter:
Former Amherst mayor appointed to county's Economic Development Authority board, Justin Faulconer, February 9, 2023
Bedford County ponders canopy structure issues at Liberty, Staunton River high schools, Shannon Kelly, Lynchburg News & Advance, February 10, 2023
Meet Carter Woodson, the Buckingham man behind Black History Month, Brian Carlton, Farmville Herald, February 11, 2023
Crisis receiving center planned for Lynchburg region gaining momentum, Justin Faulconer, Amherst New-Era Progress, February 11, 2023
Richardson announces run for Appomattox County sheriff, Charles Conrad, Appomattox Times-Virginian, February 15, 2023
Newman proposes legislation to bring 90-bed nursing facility to CVTC site, Justin Faulconer, Amherst New-Era Progress, February 16, 2023
Will Buckingham ban mining? Committee offers recommendation, Brian Carlton, Farmville Herald, February 16, 2023