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Colonial Beach • Westmoreland
tion a u d a Gr side! n i n o Secti Volume 39, Number 26
Wednesday, June 24, 2015 50 Cents
helping you relate to your community
CB Council approves 6-cent tax increase
Father’s Day car show a hit at the Beach
Linda Farneth
Photo by Linda Farneth
Residents from Colonial Beach the surrounding area enjoyed seeing some classic cars on Sunday during thte town’s annual Father’s Day car show. With mild weather and plenty of hot rods on hand, it was a great way to passa the afternoon.
The Colonial Beach Town Council has voted 6-1 to raise the real estate tax rate by 6 cents. Councilwoman Wanda Goforth cast the opposing vote. Four cents will fund the town budget and 2 cents will be earmarked toward the building of a new school. Colonial Beach Schools Superintendent, Dr. Kevin Newman was pleased with the vote. “I'm happy for our students and for our school community,” he said. “I'm looking forward to building a new school. I think our students really deserve it.” The 4 cents will generate roughly $200,000 in revenue and another $204,000 will be drawn from reserves. This will result in property owners paying an extra $60 per year per $100,000 of value. Speakers on both sides of the fence came to the council meeting to weigh-in on the proposed tax increase.
Those in favor of the increase declared the school needed the money and that education is the town's backbone. Opponents of the increase called for consolidation of the town's school system with the Westmoreland County Public Schools. Some also called for lowering the town's budget. The tax increase was being sought to solve the $404,000 revenue shortfall to fund the 2015-16 budget. Included in the budget is a request for the school system. The town must collect 18 cents per $100 of value in real estate taxes to fund the school system. The school system then asks the town to fund a portion of the schools' operating budget. A portion comes from the county and the rest from state and federal funds. Town official say the $404,000 shortfall is the result of needs in the town's operating budget and that of the school system. See Taxes, page 8
Fun for all at worldwide swimming lesson countries it monitors. “Research shows participation On Thursday, June 18, tens of in formal swimming lessons can thousands of kids at more than reduce the risk of drowning by 88 900 locations around the globe percent among children aged 1 to 4,” splashedand flutter-kicked their way said Rowdy Gaines, Olympic Gold through a sixth consecutive Guinness Medalist and spokesperson for the World Record™ to help combat event. “Yet many kids don’t receive childhood drowning by participating formal swimming or water safety in The World’s Largest Swimming training. Drowning is preventable and insuring every child learns to Lesson™. Kids of all ages splashed in the pool swim is a powerful step toward at the King George Family YMCA in prevention.” Team WLSL set its fifth Guinness celebration of water safety. They joined swimmers at hundreds World Record™ on June 20, 2014 of waterparks and aquatic facilities with 36,564 participants from 22 from Australia to Atlanta and countries. Since its inception, more Lithuania to Los Angeles in taking than 120,000 people have participated part in the WLSL, which began at in WLSL lessons generating more 10 am in the Marshall Islands and than 150 million life-saving media impressions. traveled around the globe. The World’s Largest Swimming This year’s event followed the International Date Line as it reached Lesson™ was created by the World 10 a.m. locally in 24 countries. More Waterpark Association in 2010 as information about the event, as well a platform to communicate the as swim safety tips, can be found at fundamental importance of teaching children to swim. www.wlsl.org. More than 45 different aquatics and Tragically, the World Health Organization estimates that drowning is safety organizations and publications one of the top five causes of death for support Team WLSL™ in their mission people aged 1-14 years for 48 of 85 to help prevent childhood drowning. Staff Report
Photo courtesy of the King George Family YMCA
Participants in share a light-hearted moment during The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson™, held June 18 at swimming facilities around the globe, including the King George Family YMCA. The purpose of the event is to cut the number of accidental drownings, especially among children.
School under fire for budget shortfall
Special Olympics Torch Run
Linda Farneth
Photo by Linda Farneth
Colonial Beach Police Department and Special Olympians carried the torch through Colonial Beach on June 11.
Once again the Colonial Beach Public Schools came under fire by a few speakers at the public hearing on the Colonial Beach proposed budget. Some speakers blamed the school system for the town’s budget shortfall. Town officials have indicated the $404,000 shortfall is split almost equally between the town’s budget and the school’s funding request. The issue of consolidating Colonial Beach Schools with Westmoreland County has been coming up for many years. During the June 11 budget hearing five of 16 speakers called for consolidation. Many believe that if consolidation takes place, the school system will remain in tact, the town will still have control over the school and taxes will go down. However, Westmoreland County Administrator Norm Rasivi says answering the question of financial impacts on the school system and
residents, of both the town and the county, is not an easy question to answer and would require more study. When asked what the impact of taxation would be on the town residents, Rasavi said in an email, “That question would require the gathering of significant amount of data and would be impacted by decisions of the county school board. Such as would the school system maintain the elementary school within the town or utilize the Washington District Elementary School. This would affect the number of buses needed, etc.” This statement indicates that if consolidation occurred, the school system would no longer be run by a Colonial Beach School Board, and decisions about the school would be handled by the Westmoreland County School Board. When asked what actions are required for consolidation, Rasavi cited Virginia Code Section 22.1-25 which states, “No school division shall be
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divided or consolidated without the consent of the school board thereof and the governing body of the town. It must then provide notice to the State Board of Education of the new composition.” See SCHOOL, page 8
Correction The June 17 edition of The Journal, failed to credit Ruth Daiger for taking thte photos for the trip by the Washington and Lee Boys Soccer team to the state championship. The Journal regrets this oversight.