The Shadow
LOW MOOR, Va. (VR) – On Tuesday, June 3, the Alleghany County Board of Supervisors convened in front of a large crowd. Several important public hearings drew the attention of local county residents and community leaders. The public hearings addressed receipt of additional revenue, possible adoption of new sewer rates for the Town of Clifton Forge, an increase in water and sewer rates, and a heated discussion on a decrease of the existing tax rate from .73 cents per $100 value to .49 cents per $100 assessed value. A brief update on the budget hearing was discussed and tabled until the June 10 meeting, where a vote to accept the budget will be held.
Ingrid Barber spoke on additional Opioid Settlement funding that will be used to further a renovation project to secure more service space to address substance use. Barber informed board members that the new project will provide a lab for drug screening, new group rooms, a community training room, staff offices, a peer drop-in center, and an additional reception area.
In response to the sewer and water rates, Clifton Forge Town Mayor, Jeff Irvine came to the podium to ask questions regarding the process of evaluating and setting sewer rates for Clifton Forge residents and businesses. Adcock responded that it is evaluated each year based on previous use and the initial agreements regarding water services in 2016. Irvine spoke of an outdated model that should be revised by the county to address resident concerns.
Highlighting the tax rate hearing, many residents expressed concern regarding the increased assessments and an insufficient appeals process. This process has been a consistent concern in recent months. After hearing many residents speak, James Griffith, Vice Chair, reminded the crowd that tax reassessment is required by the state and the only tool the board members can utilize in making a fair adjustment is to set the tax rate in an appropriate range to maintain the law governing a maximum overall increase of 1%. Griffith stated, “The only tool we had to leverage was the tax rate, and we did that by lowering the rate to .49 cents to take care of our citizens.”
Susan Hammond, VDOT Resident Engineer, spoke about several updates and emphasized collaboration efforts surrounding the railway bridge on Route 42 that will be closed in the near future for a 7-10 day period to finish the renovation project. Closure of the bridge will mean rerouting traffic through several contingent roadways that will result in much longer travel times. Hammond assured board members and residents that communication regarding the closure would be updated as soon as it was set and that members from multiple counties and agencies had been part of discussions regarding the closure to provide continuous emergency services and avoid unwanted truck traffic on narrow county roads.
In new business, board members heard plans on additional capital improvement for Alleghany Highlands Public Schools, an update on salary increases for county employees, and voted on board appointments for the Alleghany Regional Library, the Recreation Board, and the Roanoke-Valley Regional Commission.
A heated debate occurred regarding the new capital improvement projects for area school buildings to include an air handler for the AHS gym to reduce humidity, a new ventilation system for CMS, and an engineering project that will design new tennis courts for AHS. The debate was in regard to funding the CMS project versus the AHS projects. The vote was approved 3-2, however.
For the final new business item, board members honored Reid Walters, County Administrator, for all of his efforts to serve the Board and the residents of Alleghany County. Walters was presented a plaque of appreciation along with a Resolution of Appreciation for his time of employment after his resignation on May 16. In acceptance of the plaque, Walters expressed gratitude, recognizing board members for their “agape love in selflessly and sacrificially serving local area residents.”
The next board meeting to address the new fiscal budget, including tax rates, will be held on June 10 at 6 pm at the Government Complex in Low Moor.
Reid Walters Receives Recognition (Jessica Freeman photo)
Ingrid Barber (Jessica Freeman photo)
Suzanne Adcock (Jessica Freeman photo)
Tracey Persinger (Jessica Freeman photo)
