Inside A10 Flat Rock administrators get slimed
Powhatan, Virginia B1 Softball seniors are leading by example
Vol. XXXV No.. 41
April 13, 2022
Supervisors take step back on tax rate adoption Board to extend first tax bill due date to June 15 Editor’s note: Because of a production error, two pages in the April 6 issue of the Powhatan Today were not printed. A story on the tax rate was not printed completely, so it is being printed again here.
By Laura McFarland Managing Editor
POWHATAN – The Powhatan County Board of Supervisors had to take a step back from its vote to keep the county’s real estate tax rate unchanged at 79 cents after it came to light that there had been a miscalculation in how the county’s assessment growth was calculated and a public hearing would now be required. The board voted in a 3-2 split on Monday, March 28 to set the calendar year 2022 real estate tax rate at 79 cents per $100 of assessed value. The vote on an offi-
cial resolution for that decision came about a week after the board decided in the same split to keep the tax rate unchanged at 79 cents in a March 22 workshop, not realizing they needed a formal resolution to do so. Chair Mike Byerly, who represents District 3; Steve McClung, District 2, and Karin Carmack, District 5, voted in favor of the 79-cent tax rate. David Williams, District 1, and Bill Cox, District 4, voted against. But one of the few steps in the fiscal year (FY) 2023 budget process the board thought it had accomplished was actually not valid based on new information the county received the day after the March 28 vote from the Virginia Department of Taxation. The new information came after inquiries Williams made about concerns over this year’s tax rate calculations. According to that information, the county was not using the correct calculations to determine the equalized tax rate that resulted from the 10.4% increase in the county’s total assessed value of real property, county administrator Ned Smither told the board in a complicated budget workshop held Friday, April 1. Instead of 79 cents, the new calculations show the equalized tax rate – the tax rate that would levy the
same amount of real estate as last tax year when multiplied by the new total assessed value of real estate – would be 75 cents. That means if the board decides to stick with its decision to keep the tax rate the same at 79 cents, the difference between the lower equalized tax rate and the proposed rate three board members have been favoring would represent a 4-cent increase for taxpayers, or about a 5.3% increase. But the possible increase itself – or the discussion about whether to lower the tax rate after all – were not the main focus of the April 1 workshop. Instead, supervisors were more focused on making sure the timeline was set that would both give the public the opportunity to have input on the rate and get it adopted with enough time to mail out the first half of the calendar year 2022 tax bills in June. The revelation of the miscalculation sparked the need for a few necessary adjustments. The 5.3% increase means a public hearing must be held, which will now happen at the May 2 board of supervisors meeting. see TAX RATE, pg. 4
Health Day aims to empower seniors Day care is latest victim of theft of catalytic converters By Laura McFarland Managing Editor
DELIVER TO: Postal Patron Powhatan, VA 23139
Prsrt. Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Powhatan, VA Permit No.19
POWHATAN – Education and empowerment were the goals of the day at the Community Matters Health and Wellness Day recently held for Powhatan residents age 55 and above. About 80 seniors attended the special event designed to connect them with resources, offer a nice day out socializing, and send them home with a few goodies. The event was held Wednesday, April 6 at the Powhatan Rescue Squad Building. Organizer Jayne Lloyd, who coordinates the weekly Community Matters gathering for local seniors, said seniors represent a large portion of the Powhatan community, and she hopes those who attended left feeling respected and appreciated. “They are the part of our community that was at the greatest risk during COVID and also experience incredible seasons of change in later years of their lives. I think when
By Laura McFarland Managing Editor
PHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND
Free glaucoma testing offered by Virginia Eye Institute was one of the many perks for seniors attending the Community Matters Health and Wellness Day held April 6. Above, technician Kevin Smith administers a glaucoma screening test to Adrienne Phelan, left, while marketing director Melissa Casanova speaks with local resident Joyce Evans.
events, resources and considerations are made regarding their interests, desires and needs they feel valued. I hope that is what they experienced today in a small way,” Lloyd said after the event last week. The Health and Wellness Day saw 18 vendors setting up for three hours inside and outside the building to provide information and a few services, all for free.
Virginia Eye Institute administered glaucoma screenings, Dominion Energy handed out energy efficiency kits and Life Care Family Medical offered blood pressure checks. The sponsors for the event were Dominion Energy, Anthem HealthKeepeers, United Healthcare and County Seat Restaurant and Gathering Place.
POWHATAN – A local daycare is the most recent victim of an ongoing issue Powhatan and other jurisdictions are facing of having catalytic converters stolen off of vehicles. When Firefly Childcare on New Dorset Circle lined its children up on the morning of Wednesday, April 6 to go on field trips, workers were shocked when they turned on the facility’s 14-passenger vans to hear strange, loud noises, said Dr. Jane Chalkley, CEO of Firefly Childcare. “We were going to the public library for story time – the younger kids were – and the older children were going to go to Skate-A-Way,” she said, adding the children were lined up and ready to board the vans. Realizing something wasn’t right, one of the workers checked and discovered that all three of Firefly’s vehicles had their catalytic converters stolen from them, Chalkley said. Surveillance footage showed the thefts occurred at about 1 a.m. that morning, with five catalytic converters taken off the three vehicles. Chalkley said she was grateful Fire-
see SENIORS, pg. 5
see CATALYTIC, pg. 6
Blessed Sacrament serves up ‘Black Coffee’ PHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND
Blessed Sacrament Huguenot presented its production of Agatha Christie’s ‘Black Coffee’ on April 8 and 9. Cast members were Xiomara Zuniga, Berkeley Roudabush, Lily Hickey, Josh Decker, Sara Cline, Parker Gill, Dorian Page, Patrick Mynes, Nic Honsharuk, Julian Alcazar, Harrison Lee, Grant Howerton and Victoria Sweeney. Understudies are Katie Book, Lydia Roberts, Victoria Sweeney and Edmund Camara.
4th
Sat. April 23rd 4pm-10pm Rain or Shine Free Admission For Kids 12 & Under a la carte Available To Purchase Bring lawn chairs
Tickets can be purchased at Powhatan Moose Family Center, New Horizon Bank, and Barham Seafood No coolers allowed