04/08/2015

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Powhatan, Virginia

Vol. XXVIII No. 14

April 8, 2015

Supervisors move forward with budget By Laura McFarland News Editor

POWHATAN – The Powhatan County Board of Supervisors agreed last week on the $47.5 million budget it will advertise to the community as it moves forward in the budget process for fiscal year 2016. County administrator Pat Weiler had proposed the budget, which has revenues and expenditures matching at $47,499,440. The board agreed at its budget workshop on Monday, March 30 to move ahead with those amounts. The board was scheduled to vote on Monday, April 6 on the county’s

was to reduce the personal property tax for disabled veterans and volunteer fire and rescue workers from $1.80 to $0.0001, which is the lowest amount it can be. The supervisors also had the option of going with a proposed budget that would include an additional $97,872 for deputies in the Powhatan County Sheriff’s Office but decided not to go that route. Weiler’s original budget did not budget for WEILER those positions. tax rates. Weiler’s recommendation Weiler told the board they can rewas for the real estate tax to stay the duce the amount of the budget after it same at 90 cents and the personal property tax to remain $3.60. see BUDGET page 2A The only change recommended

Head of Blessed Sacrament School to depart By Laura McFarland

resignation is effective June 5 The new position comes at the right time for Bonday to have a fresh start and find more opportunities for professional development growth, she said. That is the exciting aspect of the offer, while the sad part is leaving behind the staff, parents and students she has come to care about at Blessed Sacrament, she said. “I am grateful for the numerous opportunities afforded to me over the past four years and I truly appreciate the

News Editor

POWHATAN – Tracy Bonday, chief school administrator of Blessed Sacrament Huguenot Catholic School, recently announced she is leaving at the end of the school year to take another position. Bonday, who has been in the position since July 2011, plans to relocate to Des Moines, Iowa to become the superintendent of the Diocese of Des Moines, which has 16 grade schools and two high schools in its system. Her

BONDAY

PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND

Jemi Hodge, left, who calls herself a dog untrainer, shows pet owner Shelby Taylor, how to gently ground her dog Sammy using her feet and the leash.

The untraining eye By Laura McFarland News Editor

POWHATAN – Jemi Hodge takes very seriously the fact that sometimes she is all that stands between a dog or cat and a very bleak future. On a regular basis, the Powhatan resident and see EYE page 5A

see BLESSED page 8A

Spring events hit Powhatan in April Board looks at ways to fund CIP By Laura McFarland News Editor

P

OWHATAN – Powhatan County has a big month ahead filled with events to keep people from heading elsewhere for entertainment. Events that celebrate food, music, the environment, crafts, history and being active will be held throughout the month. They range from free acFILE PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND tivities to ones with a The start of the VIllage Vibe Concert Series, pictured above in 2014, is price tag on them. one of the activities happening in Powhatan County this month.

Saturday, April 11

Smokie Joe’s BBQ to serve food. Admission is included with park admission of $4 per carload. For more information, contact Laurin Willis at Laurin@Laurinwillis. com. The Powhatan Anti-Litter Council will hold a free recycling event from 8 a.m. to noon at the Powhatan Fairgrounds Building, 4042 Anderson Highway. Residents may bring up to 10 tires per household, appliances (washers, dryers, stoves, air conditioners), electronics (printers, scanners, copiers, fax machines) and paper products for free shredding. There is a $10 fee to recycle televisions. For more information, contact the Powhatan Extension Office at 804598-5640.

A Picnic in the Park will be held from noon to 6 p.m. on April 11 at Powhatan State Park, 4616 Powhatan State Park Road. The event will include interpretive programs, food trucks, music, games and family-oriented activities. There will be music by Damian Allen, Tony Farris, Zack Artis, The Abeels, and the Heritage Bluegrass Band. Food and beverage are pay as you go. The event has lined up Boka Tako Truck, Hungry Turtle Food Truck, Carytown Burgers & Friday, April 17 Fries, Bodillaz Quesadilla Food The first of five Village Vibe Truck, Cheezezilla, The Boardwalk Hot Dogs, Gelati Celesti, and concerts put on by the Powhatan

Inside A7 The Powhatan Public Library and Virginia Cooperative Extension’s first Maker festival.

Chamber of Commerce will be held from 7 to 10 on April 17 at the Powhatan Volunteer Rescue Squad grounds, 3920 Marion Harland Drive. There is no cover charge for the concert, which will feature The Remnants. People are invited to bring chairs and blankets and come out and dance and enjoy the music. For more information, go to www. powhatanchamber.org.

Wednesday, April 22 The Powhatan Lions Club’s 39th annual Steer Roast and Charity Golf Tournament will be held on April 22. Gates open at 5 p.m. and dinner is served at 6 p.m. at the steer roast, which will be held at the Powhatan Volunteer Rescue Squad grounds, 3920 Marion Harland Drive. The event will feature beef brisket meals, a silent auction, a 50see SPRING page 7A

Sports B1 PHS boys soccer defeats defending Group 3A state champ.

By Laura McFarland News Editor

POWHATAN – The Powhatan County Board of Supervisors and School Board took a more detailed look last week at how the county could pay for a restrained five-year capital improvement program. Using information from a joint meeting between the supervisors and the Powhatan County School Board, Pat Weiler, county administrator, gave presentations to first the supervisors at their workshop on Monday, March 30, and then both boards at a joint meeting on Wednesday, April 1. Weiler came up with options to discuss the top two priorities for each board plus a joint project. Taking comments from a joint meeting on March 24, Weiler based the projections on a list of projects that reduced the original estimated $66.6 million down to a smaller selection with a price tag of almost $54 million. The CIP projects on this reduced list featured a new communications system and a sally port on the courthouse as the

county’s top projects; a renovated Powhatan Junior High School and mechanical equipment replacement in Powhatan Elementary School for the school district’s priorities, and a joint garage as a fifth item. Weiler laid out ideas for how this reduced CIP could be paid for using 100 percent and 50 percent of increases from new construction, personal property tax and sales tax. In her explanation, Weiler showed the available cash the county would have from fiscal years 2017 to 2024 to pay debt service on any bonds they issued. The money for this would come from reduction of debt service, savings from closing Powhatan Middle School and increases in revenue. She then laid out three possible options on how those figures could be applied. These are not the only possible options, she pointed out. Weiler’s presentation at the joint meeting updated some figures from the supervisors’ workshop and offered side-by-side see CIP page 4A

Index

Calendar A7 Classified B8-9 Crime Report A4 Real Estate A4 Obituaries A8 Opinion A8 TV Listings B6-7


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