With their latest action the Patrick County Board of Supervisors brazenly decided to govern against the will of the people. The supervisors voted 4-1 to join with other counties to petition the state legislature to change state law to allow the supervisors to impose a meals tax without a referendum.
The “tax and spend” Patrick County Board of Supervisors could not even control their desperate urge to raise taxes until the outcome of the November 8 referendum vote was decided. The paradox is that the supervisors seek to solve a tax burden they created with yet another tax. Their policies created the real estate and property tax “burden.” Now they say they need to “ease” that burden by imposing another tax. Their compulsion to raise taxes is so great they do not even want to let their neighbors vote. Governing against the will of the people and fixing a tax problem with another tax is the sort of thing we have come to expect from Washington politicians. Our supervisors, not to be outdone, have brought that mentality to the front porches of Patrick County.
Is the county in so dreadful financial condition that desperate action is necessary? Are the supervisors protecting us by withholding dire circumstances of the financial condition of the county? Do they know something we do not know about the county’s finances? The board does not, indeed cannot know the financial condition of the county. The supervisors have not requested or been provided any accounting or management analysis of the overall financial condition of the county since the close of the fiscal year on June 30, 2016.
According to the response to my Freedom of Information Act Request, during the entirety of fiscal year 2016 the board did not receive any report of the taxes collected compared to the budget or any management analysis of expenditures. Not once! Lack of information and knowledge however, will not be an impediment to the zeal of this board to raise taxes on their neighbors. To be clear, the board of supervisors is not reducing taxes. They are simply attempting to shift the tax “burden” to others. Large landholders in the county will benefit the most from the touted “easing” of real estate taxes. Business owners may benefit from the “easing” of personal property tax. A meals tax, on the other hand, hits all our friends and neighbors who want to enjoy dining out with their families once in a while. Contrary to a statement attributed to Supervisor Lock Boyce by The Enterprise, a majority of voters do mind “paying 4% more when eating at county restaurants.” In fact, we mind so much we voted against a meals tax FIVE times.
A few questions for the board. Did the county end up in the black or red for FY 2016? Did the county collect more taxes than budgeted? If so, how much? How will you spend this new meals tax money? Why have you not communicated the reason for raising taxes? Will the citizens of Patrick County receive any benefit from this tax increase? The next board of supervisors meeting is October 17th at 6 p.m. in the county administrative building. If you want to be heard by the board show up and sign up to speak. If enough of their neighbors show up perhaps they will be embarrassed enough to listen! I hope to see you there.
Bill Moore
Woolwine
