The Shadow
CLIFTON FORGE - Members of the Alleghany County Board of Supervisors and Covington City Council who were unable to forge a consolidation agreement, presented their differing views on a consolidated government to the Citizens’ Committee to Perfect a Consolidation Agreement Thursday night.
The court-appointed citizens’ committee, at their third meeting, invited elected representatives who participated in nearly a year of consolidation negotiations to offer their views of consolidation, in particular, whether to form a consolidated city versus a consolidated county.
Talks between the governments ended in October with both sides at in impasse. Covington supports a city form of government and Alleghany County supports a county form of government.
Each group, who had the floor for one hour Thursday night, answered a series of 14 questions complied by the committee during their meeting last week.
“This is an information session only, not a debate,” committee co-chair Joe Carpenter said at the onset of the meeting held in McCarthy Hall at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College.
The question and answer period was moderated by Art Mead, assistant director of the Southwest Virginia office is the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia.
Determined by a coin toss last week, Alleghany County had the floor first.
Alleghany County Supervisor Mac Campbell said consolidation would provide an opportunity to enhance the tax base and spread out debt burden.
Campbell said that Covington has a debt burden of $5,168 per citizen while Alleghany County has a debt burden of $1,532 per citizen.
Supervisors Chairman Steve Bennett said, “Our major concern is we feel like we have a lot of funding sources that the county has now and I’m scared we might lose them if we go to a city.”
In fearing additional state budget cuts, Bennett said, “There’s safety in numbers being a county.”
Covington City Councilman B.B. Bryant, who presented a PowerPoint presentation to address the city’s views, said a city form of government would give city residents a chance to “buy in” to the prospect of a merged government. In past consolidation referendums, Covington citizens voted them down.
Bryant continued and said cities have additional powers granted by charters and have greater taxation powers.
Both sides were asked what the impact would be to the citizens of the Highlands if no consolidation action was taken.
If no action was taken, Campbell said the short term effects would be minimal. “There is not a lot of short-term savings, but there will be long-term savings (if consolidation occurred),” he said.
He added that both governments are operating as efficiently as possible and gave examples of how the city and county work in unison for economic development and the attempts to retain industry.
“We’re not going to lose that (cooperation),” Campbell said, referring to if no action is taken. “But we throw rocks at each other sometimes.”
Bryant agreed that the no action option would have no immediate potential for loss of savings to residents. He noted that the greatest burden of the general fund budget is placed on those paying tool and machinery taxes.
“One-third of our budget is from tool and machinery taxes,” Bryant said.
“Separate governments are not keeping economic development out,” Bryant said, noting that lack of infrastructure at the industrial park and the recession is having the greatest impact on economic development.
Covington Vice Mayor Rob Bennett said the public has been misled in believing that lack of a consolidated government is hindering economic development.
In two years serving on the Economic Development Corporation board, Bennett said, he always asked state officials if a lack of a unified government hinders prospective industry.
“Every time I ask, the answer is zero,” Bennett said.
“When a crisis arrives, we come together,” Bennett added.
Regarding special service, or tax districts, Covington and Alleghany County disagree.
County officials said in urban areas like Covington, which have sidewalks, increased police protection, and additional services, citizens should pay an additional tax for the services.
Steve Bennett said currently Clifton Forge and Iron Gate are essentially special service districts that pay for desired services.
Covington officials countered and said special service districts would kill any chance of Covington voters approving consolidation.
“You shouldn’t be penalized where you choose to, or have to live,” Bryant said.
Both sides agreed that there would be costs associated with the establishment of a consolidated government.
The issue of law enforcement, whether an elected sheriff or an appointed police chief should be the locality’s chief law enforcement officer, also had city and county officials at odds.
Campbell said an elected sheriff should be the chief law enforcement officer and a sheriff’s department is better funded by the State Compensation Board rather than a police department.
Rob Bennett countered and said a police chief has to answer daily to a city manager, while a sheriff answers to no one but the voters every four years.
After the one hour session, each side had a 30-minute session where members of the citizens’ committee posed their own questions to the elected officials.
Members of the citizens’ committee plan to meet every Tuesday in January at 6:30 p.m. to form a consolidation agreement.
