Meadowcreek Parkway Staging Area in Albemarle County, along Rio Road Rather than drag this out any further , maybe the City of Charlottesville should just end the discussion and say they’re not going to support/build/move forward with their part of the Parkway. Just stand up for what you believe in and say no. (and pay VDOT back) It’s only been 43 years since they started talking about it . … Related reading: – The most comprehensive source for Meadowcreek Parkway information – Charlottesville Tomorrow – What if the Meadowcreek Parkway didn’t exist? (travel patterns and settlement patterns have changed in the past 40 years) – Heck, I’ve been writing about it since 2005 . (ignore the Daily Progress dead link) – Meadowcreek Parkway study by the Free Enterprise Forum * Photo courtesy of
Posts tagged Politics
Albemarle County Budget – 2010 – Reductions all Around?
If you’re pressed for time or attention span, start with the Budget Summary (pdf) – that’s where I found this unfortunate nugget:
…One-time funding for this program in FY 10/11 could be available and considered for reappropriation if this program does not meet its anticipated demand in FY 09/10
Find the fat, suggest changes (the first public hearing in 3 March at 6pm at the Lane Auditorium at the Albemarle County Office Building ). This is a hard year for localities’ budgets – Charlottesville , Fluvanna , Greene , statewide (and nationwide ), and Albemarle County is no different. – There is a great discussion at cvillenews , with Jeff Uphoff getting his math on in the comments . – There’s a petition to “fully fund” Albemarle County Schools . – The Daily Progress details the discussions on how to cut teachers .
City Neighborhood Liaison – Needed?
The City of Charlottesville is contemplating adding a “neighborhood advocate” to liaise with City neighborhood associations . … I vote for her: “It’s a bad use of city funds and there are too many other programs and efforts that I think the city should be involved in,†said Adena Imlay, president of the Meadowbrook Hills/Rugby Neighborhood Association. Imlay said creating another layer of bureaucracy in local government to work with neighborhoods is not the answer. … I’m curious – why can’t people who want to be involved call the city and advocate for themselves ?
School Values and Housing Prices – Specifically in Albemarle County
In an effort to get my head around the numbers, I have prepared the attached spreadsheet which evaluates (to the best of my ability with the data available) , the impact of the different budget scenarios and what different property tax rate increases necessary to close the funding gap.
…At this point in the process, I don’t like trying to address a budget challenge by manipulating the tax rate, but I think the public deserves some factual information about the different scenarios and how that might impact their personal pocketbooks.
ɉۢ In the best case state funding scenario , a property tax rate of 81.9 cents would balance the budget and increase ANNUAL tax payments by $146.19 for the median priced home when compared to 2009.
…1 However, the strength of the consensus is puzzling, given the formidable empirical challenges facing any homeowner or empirical researcher seeking to answer the question carefully.2 First, good schools usually come bundled with other neighborhood qualities– such as proximity to employment, shopping and recreational conveniences and neighborhood peers.
Have you Read the Revenue Sharing Agreement?
The revenue sharing agreement between Albemarle and Charlottesville is a pointed point of consternation and disagreement and highlights the political (dysfunctional) relationship between the two Governments. … To home buyers, sellers, residents (and Residents ) – so many services are separate, but so many are and are perceived to be shared. … * Three of my favorite starting points are: – Jennifer’s Revenue Sharing Agreement – CVillePedia – Revenue Sharing Agreement debated again But have you actually read the agreement ? Inlookers, Charlottesville is surrounded by Albemarle , and to most people who don’t live in CharlAlbemarle, they are one and the same.
Charlottesville and Albemarle Governments Clash. Again.
For anyone interested in a prime example of the City of Charlottesville’s and County of Albemarle’s occasionally dysfunctional relationship, Rachana Dixit and Brandon Shulleeta have great story in today’s Daily Progress . … The clash over money between Charlottesville and Albemarle County is turning into a political civil war, with warnings that each step from here will undermine collaborations that would cut expenses and instead possibly cost taxpayers big bucks down the road.
…Many county officials say it’s unfair that a state formula that determines education funding for localities — based largely on localities’ wealth — fails to account for the revenue-sharing agreement. Bell’s amendment proposal would count the money Albemarle pays Charlottesville toward the city’s wealth instead of the county’s wealth — which would increase state education funding for Albemarle in fiscal 2012 by $2.6 million and decrease Charlottesville’s state education funding by that same amount. …
The Burden of Proof – Real Estate Assessment Appeals
HB570 is an outstanding bill in the Virginia General Assembly that takes on particular relevance in 2010, with property assessments likely being challenged by some in Charlottesville, Albemarle and surrounding Counties. … It “Changes the burden of proof from the taxpayer to the assessor when a taxpayer appeals the assessment of real property to a board of equalization or to a circuit court.” … The burden of proof shall be upon the assessor when a taxpayer seeking seeks relief to show that because the property in question is valued at more than its fair market value, that the assessment is not uniform in its application, or that the assessment is otherwise not equalized. In order to receive relief, the taxpayer must produce substantial evidence that the valuation determined by the assessor is erroneous and was not arrived at in accordance with generally accepted appraisal practice.