By Taylor Boyd
Several residents opposed an up to 5-cents real estate tax increase during a March 24 public hearing.
“I guess by now you know we’re losing a textile plant in the county,” Charlie Bowman said of a recent announcement by Hanesbrands Inc. that the Woolwine facility would close later this summer.
“That’s tough, and that’s going to be tough on good paying jobs in this county that have for some reason just faded out. I don’t know why because we’ve got other areas in the state that’s chomping at the state to expand, but we’re not selling the county enough to bring in more business,” he said, and questioned the need for several expenses, including public safety.
Additionally, “I was a bit hesitant” to see that the Department of Social Services asked for additional funds “because I thought it was a bit much, but when you have a plant and possible another business going down in the county, social services is going to be where people go to” for help, Bowman said, and noted the population is decreasing and aging.
In 2020, he said the county’s population was 18,380.
“If you look 10 years down the road, you’re going to be down to 17,618. In 2040, 16,630. That’s a 5.6 percent drop. Imagine the people living here now that have to go out of town to work. Out of the county to work, and in different parts of the state and in North Carolina. Have we taken time to sit down and study these numbers before we think about a budget? You’re asking people to cut their budgets, and I think it’s time for the county to cut theirs,” he said.
“What is the increase in benefits we’re getting as taxpayers? We have one doctor’s office. No hospital and no dialysis. Rescue squads are making trips to Martinsville, Mount Airy, (N.C.), Roanoke, and Winston to deliver patients and that takes time away from services needed here in the county if something drastic were to come up,” he said.
Bowman said many of the 70 and older people in the community live on Social Security benefits.
“That’s an average between $600 and $800 per month. That’s before the $144 premium that Social Security takes back,” he said, adding that 2,669 people live in Patrick County aged 70 and older.
They must budget their house payments/rent, utilities “maybe some type of supplemental insurance if they can afford it, medicines, and food, and heaven help them if a water pump goes out, they get sick, or their power gets cut off. What happens if someone hacks their checking account and they have to wait for the checks to be straightened out and the checking account fixed, and what happens if a spouse dies and they’re on one income,” he asked.
Noting that he had seen “a lot of heated criticism on social media, directed at the Board of Supervisors, saying that the tax rate is already too high at 68 cents per $100 of valuation,” Kurt Bozenmayer said he and his wife have owned a home in Patrick County since 2003.
“When we bought this place, the tax rate was 50 cents per $100. Within six years, the property assessment increased by 82 percent while the tax rate only dropped to 48 cents. Still, our overall tax bill nearly doubled. Prior to moving here, we lived in New Jersey, and the tax rate in that town is currently $3.75 per $100 of valuation. For that higher tax rate, I can’t say that the roads, schools, law enforcement, services, etc. were any better than those here in Patrick County.
“By comparison, the average residential tax rate in the Commonwealth of Virginia is 80 cents per $100. Richmond is $1.20, many Northern Virginia areas are well over $1 per $100. Critics cite lower tax rates in adjoining counties such as Henry County and Franklin County,” he said, adding those counties have much greater industrial and commercial tax bases to offset the residential taxes.
“Many critics call for Patrick County to bring in more businesses to help keep the tax rate down. The truth is that Patrick County does not have a lot to offer to attract major industrial or commercial development. I challenge those critics to name the businesses that we would like to attract and what we can offer them to move here.
“In my opinion, the main attraction of Patrick County is the quality of life. People are friendly, our crime rate is low, traffic is almost non-existent, schools and public services are better than average. Without industrial and commercial tax base support, this high quality of life can only be supported by residential taxes. The alternative is to give up some of the services that we now take for granted,” Bozenmayer said, and urged the board “to continue their good work keeping our county budget under control and not become disheartened by the increased criticism.”
Barry Belcher said he was opposed to the tax rate increase. “We got an increase of a 10 percent by assessment just this year because my house, I have a small house, and it’s 1,200 square-feet. it was $700 and I got a $70 increase,” he said.
Belcher said he has not gotten a 10 percent raise in a long time and knows that it’s the same for most of the county.
“We are poor, nobody here makes that kind of money that a lot of other people do. It’s a tradeoff. It is a great place to live, and I know a lot of people love this place, but we just don’t have the wage” increases, he said, and added he currently is 63, soon will enter the non-working bracket.
“The taxes go on and the money slows way down. I saw some statistic that the average age in Patrick County is something like 50-years-old,” he said, adding an increased tax is a burden to those people because they do not have a way to get more money.
Kenneth Cox, 80, and of the Blue Ridge District, said he has lived in the county for nearly 60 years.
“I’ve come to protest the taxes because all I’ve seen to have here lately is the raising of taxes. It’s just sickening,” he said, and added many others near his age have a hard time paying taxes, and “every year it’s harder. I’d appreciate very much if I didn’t see the taxes raised in Patrick County this year.”
Amy Walker, board clerk, read comments that were submitted before the meeting.
The first, from Mary Ann and Garland Plaster, stated in part, “I am asking you to add my name and my husband to the list of those who oppose real estate or personal property tax increase for Patrick County.”
Walker also read a letter from William Salser, of Stuart.
“Given the fact that the new members of the Patrick County Supervisors ran on the platform of no new taxes, I can’t believe that this issue is even being considered. Coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic and the number of people that are out of work, the timing of this proposal is concerning. The financial impact of the shutdown of businesses and organizations caused by COVID-19 is quickly coming due. Considering the budget issues facing Patrick County and towns and counties all over the U.S.A. I understand the need for more revenue, but increased taxes are not the answer,” Walker read.
Walker said Salser listed examples of actions being taken across the United States to help with budget issues including cutting “all middle-management positions, do not fill any vacant positions for one year, across the board budget cuts, no salary increases or bonuses for one year, and increase teacher class size by not replacing teachers who retire.”
Walker said the letter also stated that “from 2010 to 2019, Patrick County’s population decreased by 4.8 percent. I do not see that increasing in the near future unless new businesses and opportunities are provided … What is also needed in Patrick County is someone to recruit new businesses to help with unemployment and tax-increase base, not new taxes.”
