Inside A3 Board recognizes Child Abuse Awareness Month
Powhatan, Virginia
B1 Powhatan FH, VB teams headed to playoffs, football team wins finale
Vol. XXXIV No. o. 40
April 7, 2021
Supervisors vote to lower real estate tax rate 79 cents set to take effect on November bills By Laura McFarland Editor
P
OWHATAN – The Powhatan County Board of Supervisors recently made a unanimous decision to lower the county’s real estate tax rate to 79 cents starting with the November 2021 tax bills. During the board’s meeting on Monday, March 29, the supervisors were originally talking about deciding on the tax rate they wanted to advertise for the short fiscal year (FY) making up the second
half of 2021 and the calendar year 2022. There was also the possibility they could have voted to advertise the FY 2022 budget they wanted to advertise. But in a surprise move at the end of the meeting, the four sitting members voted 4-0 in favor of passing the tax rate that they want to have start with the November 2021 billing cycle, stay in effect 18 months by this vote, and hopefully become the county’s fixed real estate rate. Tom Berry, the newly appointed District 2 supervisor, was in attendance at the meeting in the audience but was not sworn in until Friday, April 2. The supervisors didn’t actually have to advertise the rate since they wanted to lower it from the current rate of 85 cents. The supervisors also didn’t dive into a full budget discussion at the March 29 meeting, but it was discussed at the bud-
get workshop they added for April 2. At that point, the board decided to move ahead and advertise the budget county administrator Ned Smither suggested, including the school board’s portion of the budget. Smither said the county’s budget will be advertised at $100,170,484, which includes all funds. The board will hold a public hearing on the FY 2022 operating budget at its May 3 meeting and has discussed adopting it on May 10. The county’s budget does not have to be approved until the end of June, but the school board’s budget must be adopted by May 15, at which point the school division can work on employee contracts for the coming year. One aspect of the budget discussed at both meetings was the school funding that comes from the county. At a joint meeting between the school board and
board of supervisors on March 16, Smither presented a budget that saw the school division receiving $214,139 less in local funds because of an increase in state funds. At the March 29 meeting, Smither suggested the county make up some of the difference in the two figures. If the board agreed, which they appeared to at the April 2 workshop, that means Smither’s recommendation for local funds to the schools would increase by $111,339. That still leaves the school division $102,800 to adjust for over the budget that the school board approved on March 23. Although it was not solved at the April 2 workshop, Smither’s suggestion sparked discussion about the need to have a more formal policy in place resee TAX, pg. 4
Venues want equal treatment from governor Berry sworn in to
represent District 2
By Laura McFarland Editor
DELIVER TO: Postal Patron Powhatan, VA 23139
Prsrt. Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Powhatan, VA Permit No.19
POWHATAN – Despite a slight easing of capacity limitations on social gatherings in Virginia, some local wedding industry professionals feel like they are still being unfairly singled out. Governor Ralph Northam recently announced several new COVID-related measures that went into effect on April 1, including an increase in the number of people allowed to attend social gatherings. According to the new guidelines, the maximum number of individuals permitted in a social gathering increased to 50 people for indoor settings and 100 people for outdoor settings. This was an in-
PHOTO BY NICOLE JOHNSON PHOTO COURTESY OF POWHATAN COUNTY
A couple gets married outside in March at Fairview Farm Events.
crease from the former restrictions, which limited gatherings to 10 people
indoors and 25 people outdoors. But for many in the
wedding industry, including wedding venues in see VENUES, pg. 5
Rene Holy, chief deputy clerk, swears Tom Berry in on April 2 as the interim District 2 representative of the Powhatan County Board of Supervisors.
Officials discuss impact of new Voting Rights Act of Virginia By Laura McFarland Editor
POWHATAN – Governor Ralph Northam last week announced he has approved the Voting Rights Act of Virginia to provide comprehensive protections against voter suppression, discrimination, or intimidation. Northam made minor technical amendments to Senate Bill 1395, sponsored by
Senator Jennifer McClellan, and House Bill 1890, sponsored by Delegate Marcia Price, which prohibit any state or local policy from denying or restricting the right to vote of any Virginian simply because of their race, color, or membership in a language minority group, according to a release from his office on March 31. Virginia is the first state in the nation to enact its own version of a voting rights act. “At a time when voting rights are under
attack across our country, Virginia is expanding access to the ballot box, not restricting it,” said Northam. “With the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, our Commonwealth is creating a model for how states can provide comprehensive voter protections that strengthen democracy and the integrity of our elections. I am proud to support this historic legislation, and I urge Congress to follow Virginia’s see VOTING, pg. 8
Deer crashes through bus windshield, no one injured By Laura McFarland Editor
POWHATAN – A Powhatan County Public School bus had a run in with a deer on its early morning April 1 run and – no joke – the bus may have gotten the worst of the encounter. A Powhatan school bus driver was heading toward Powhatan High School with his full load of students when a deer came
through the windshield at 6:07 a.m. on Old Buckingham Road. No one was injured in the accident, which can be seen on the Powhatan Today Facebook page in a video released by the school division. The driver, who did not want to be identified, reported that while traveling down Old Buckingham Road, he had one deer come out in front of him and see DEER, pg. 2
VIDEO CLIP COURTESY OF POWHATAN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
A deer crashes through a Powhatan school bus on April 1 and lands on a student trying to sleep.
3rd
Sat. April 17th 4pm-10pm Rain or Shine Tickets can be purchased at Powhatan Moose Family Center, New Horizon Bank, and Barham Seafood Bring lawn chairs
No coolers allowed