The Shadow
LOW MOOR — The Alleghany County Board of Supervisors held four public hearings and adjourned them to June 11 at 6 p.m.
Tuesday’s hearings pertained to:
— Sewer rates for Clifton Forge and Iron Gate. Clifton Forge will be charged $4.39 per 1,000 gallons. Iron Gate will pay $13,545.96 per month.
— Amendments to the water, sewer and sewage disposal ordinance. On July 1, the water and sewer rates will increase by $1 per month.
— A proposal to increase the real estate tax rate by 2 cents from 71 cents per $100 of assessed value to 73 cents.
— The proposed fiscal 2019-2020 budget for the year beginning July 1. The budget totals $73.7 million.
Jon Lanford, county administrator, commented that this is the first proposed tax increase since 2016.
Clifton Forge East Supervisor Joan Vannorsdall said that taxes have only gone up 5 cents in over 25 years.
Hearing no comments from the public, Chairman Steve Bennett adjourned the hearings until June 11, when action will be taken.
During public comments, Sheriff Kevin Hall talked about how the city of Covington’s is proposing to cut his office’s law enforcement budget by $110,000.
Covington has its own police department but it also provides funding to the sheriff for police protection and operating the Alleghany Regional Jail
Hall said the funding issue with Covington has consumed his time since he received a letter from the city on May 24.
Lanford explained that the sheriff’s office will deal with the cut by deferring vehicle maintenance. The county will close the remaining budget gap despite facing a lean budget of its own, he said.
Hall said that after he received the letter from the city, he went to the news media to inform the people he represents about what is transpiring.
The sheriff says he feels like he has been placed on an island by himself. He further explained that he feels like this is a fight between the city and county.
“We need that funding. If we don’t have that funding we will have to reduce staffing,” he said.
He said a staffing reduction would affect Covington and Alleghany County.
“This is something that needs to be addressed,” said Bennett. “Alleghany County has always funded our portion of the sheriff’s budget … the public needs to know that at the end of the year when Covington didn’t send their part of the money, we always had to go into our reserves or savings account to make up their part also … to the tune of $600,000 since 2007.”
Lanford has agreed to enter negotiations with the Covington and Sheriff Hall.
The city has indicated that it will totally phase out the money it pays to the sheriff for law enforcement over three years.
“I feel like I’m walking with you all now and no longer alone on a desert island,” said Hall to the supervisors.
Sharon Supervisor Cletus Nicely and Clifton Forge West Supervisor Richard Shull stressed that the negotiations with Covington should happen soon.
In unfinished business, the supervisors:
— Reappointed Craig Lane to the Alleghany County School Board from the Jackson River District for a term of four years beginning July 1.
He was appointed by a 6-0 vote with Shull abstaining. Shull’s son, Richard, was the other candidate for the school board appointment.
— Amended the county classification pay plan to allow for a starting salary of $11 by a vote of 7-0.
— Approved a supplemental appropriation for the Circuit Court Clerk Debbie Byer’s office due to the award of a grant from the Library of Virginia by a vote of 7-0.
— Approved a resolution to cover volunteer fire/EMS members for workman’s compensation by a vote of 7-0.
— Reappointed Lanford to the Court-Community Corrections Regional Community Criminal Justice Board by a vote of 7-0;
— Appointed Clara Moseley to the Alleghany Highlands Regional Library Board for a term of four years by a vote of 7-0.
— Reappointed Kathy Nicely (Sharon) and John Stone (Boiling Springs) to the recreation board for a term of three years by a vote of 7-0.
— Appointed Thomas “Ty” Dobbs (Jackson River) to the recreation board for a term of three years by a vote of 7-0.
— Reappointed Boiling Springs Supervisor Shannon Cox and Vannorsdall to the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission for a term of three years by a vote of 7-0.
Following the conclusion of the regular meeting, supervisors retired to closed session with legal counsel to discuss an appointment to the Alleghany County School Board.
