Inside A6 Robotics team has stellar season
Powhatan, Virginia B1 Powhatan football routs Cosby 53-0
Vol. XXXIV No. o. 38
March 24, 2021
Supervisors deliberate on lowering tax rate By Laura McFarland Editor
POWHATAN – The Powhatan County Board of Supervisors seemed ready last week to follow through on long-term plans to significantly reduce the county’s real estate tax rate. During a budget workshop held on Friday, March 19, the tax rate was the most pressing issue on the board’s agenda because of the looming June 2021 tax bill. If the board wanted to make a change to the current tax rate of 85 cents that would be effective for that next tax bill, they had to do it by their meeting on Monday, March 22, which occurred after press time. The March 22 deadline for this decision would give time for the commissioner of the revenue’s office and treasurer’s office to make the necessary changes and arrangements before the tax bills are mailed out. In a verbal consensus reached during Friday’s meeting, the board was in agreement that they want the county to “own” a real estate tax rate of 79 cents, starting with the June 2021 tax bill and moving forward. This is part of their plan not only to lower the tax rate but to keep it at
the same level so it does not fluctuate up and down from year to year depending on various factors. However, the only official decision they would be making at Monday’s meeting was regarding amending the current second half of the fiscal year (FY) 2021 tax rate, if they choose to do so. Discussion was held during the meeting about keeping the tax rate at 85 cents for this last tax bill because it would bring in roughly $700,000 in additional revenue before moving to the more austere 79-cent rate. While the four supervisors did not seem inclined to take this option, they also gave county administrator Ned Smither over the weekend to think about whether he feels confident in the county’s ability to safely operate with a 79-cent rate. On Friday, Smither presented the supervisors with scenarios for several different tax rate options and explained that the 79-cent rate didn’t offer as much cushion if future revenue projections don’t happen as expected or there are unforeseen circumstances. Tied to all of this discussion about the tax rate is the board of supervisors’ decision to take the county back from a fiscal year billing cycle to a calendar year billing cycle, said Charla Schubert, director of finance. Accord-
ing to current county ordinance, the supervisors adopt a tax rate in the spring that will be effective for the November bill of that year and the June bill of the following year. The county made the decision to move to this way of billing in 2014 and is one of only five localities in the state that operates this way, Schubert said. If they adopt an ordinance change in the coming months moving Powhatan back to a calendar year billing cycle, the supervisors will vote on a rate each spring that will be effective for the June and November of that calendar year. At the start of Friday’s workshop, Smither presented the board with five scenarios of different tax rates and what the county could accomplish if each were adopted. All five options came with individual packets showing the projected operating budget for the county over the next 10 years given those rates. They also included graphs helping track the county’s debt capacity and its fund balance projections. Two of the options were never discussed because they involved gradually decreasing the tax rate over multiple years, which the supervisors said they didn’t want to do. see TAX RATE, pg. 3
Firefighters use house for training By Laura McFarland Editor
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POWHATAN – Time is running out for a house in the 3000 block of Anderson Highway, but its last weeks will have a lasting impact on the county. The house, which is on land owned by Evergreen Community Church, is being used by the county’s public safety personnel for training purposes before it is torn down later this spring to make way for construction on the property, said Pat Schoeffel, assistant chief. The church reached out to Powhatan Fire and Rescue with an offer to let the county use the house for training purposes, he said. Because there wasn’t an immediate deadline on when the house has to come down, the structure has turned out to be an invaluable resource for ad-
FILE PHOTO/POWHATAN TODAY
Powhatan High School Class of 2020 graduates wait in socially distanced lines for their ceremony to start. The governor last week approved school divisions to begin planning graduations with certain restrictions for the Class of 2021.
PHOTO COURTESY OF POWHATAN FIRE AND RESCUE
Company 1 firefigthters practice engine and truck work in a simulated house fire at a borrowed house in the county.
ditional training of career, volunteer, and future firefighters.
“We are using this house for see TRAINING, pg. 5
Schools make the case for raises By Laura McFarland Editor
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OWHATAN – Powhatan County Public Schools stated its case for increasing employee compensation at the most recent joint meeting between the school board and board of supervisors. While the impact of the evening’s revelations was unknown at the end of the joint meeting on Tuesday, March 16, superintendent Eric Jones, the school board members, and several teachers took the chance to advocate for a 5% raise for all employees and targeted rais-
es to address compression issues among some teachers. The three-hour meeting covered a wide range of topics, most of which tied back in some way to the overall discussion about the fiscal year (FY) 2022 operating budget and school funding. The biggest surprise of the evening came at the beginning of the meeting, when both Jones and county administrator Ned Smither were giving their introductions to the budget discussions. Smither offered a chart that compared the recent projected school budget drafts with his own see RAISES, pg. 6
Local high schools given green light on graduations By Laura McFarland Editor
POWHATAN – Class of 2021 seniors in Powhatan County will be honored at in-person graduation ceremonies this year. What it will look like beyond that is still unknown. Governor Ralph Northam announced on Wednesday, March 17 that K-12 schools, colleges, and universities may hold in-person graduation and commencement events this spring. He expects the preliminary guidance on how those may occur to be included in an April 1 update to Third Amended Executive Order Seventy-Two. Graduation events held
outdoors will be capped at 5,000 people or 30% of the venue capacity, whichever is less, according to the governor’s office. Graduation events held indoors may have up to 500 people, or 30% of the venue capacity, whichever is less. Attendees must wear masks and follow other guidelines and safety protocols to ensure proper distancing. “I appreciate the work that our schools, students, and teachers have put in to get back into the classroom safely, and the efforts of public health officials and education leaders in developing guidelines see GRADUATION, pg. 4
SpaceX Falcon 9 launch visible from Powhatan
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hotographer David Amos went out to his usual haunt in Powhatan County on March 14 to get some pre-dawn pictures of the Milky Way. As he was snapping away, he saw in the distance what looked like a jet but the vapor trail looked odd. As it got closer the huge plume got wider and brighter. He said he was beside himself trying to work out what he was watching as he frantically adjusted his camera’s settings and position to capture the image. It turned out to be an early morning photo of SpaceX Falcon 9. “As it moved from southeast to northeast, there was a break as the stage separated and the exhaust plume bloomed. It was so beautiful to behold. I am so glad i captured it,” Amos said.
PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID AMOS