The Patrick County Board of Supervisors approved a motion to cap the estate tax rate, delay the reassessment, and continued discussions about the proposed fiscal year 2025-26 budget at its March 10 meeting.
After voting to set the real estate tax rate at not more than 73 cents per $100 of assessed value, which matches the current fiscal year’s rate, the board also approved a motion to delay the county’s next real estate reassessment until Jan. 1, 2027.
Commissioner of Revenue Glennda Morse explained that Virginia law requires a general reassessment of real estate every four years. However, counties with a population of 50,000 or fewer may, by majority vote, extend the reassessment cycle to five or six years.
“Tonight, I’m asking for a motion to extend the next reassessment to six years, which is normally what we do, which would make it effective Jan. 1, 2027,” Morse said.
Board members also discussed several proposed capital improvements, including a generator for the county administration building, an ambulance purchase, a scale for the Transfer Station, zero turn mower, a roof on the building that houses Adult Education, and mowing options for dams in Ararat.
Also discussed was an ‘Access Control System’ for court proceedings held on the third floor, as requested by General District Court Judge Joan Ziglar, according to discussion at the meeting.
County Administrator Beth Simms said that according to Ziglar’s request from last year, the first phase of the access control plan was for a single point of entry. “Because right now, there are quite a few exits in this building. So, the first phase will be a single point of entry with all the other” entries and exits secured.
“We can all wish and want, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that’s a requirement,” Andrew Overby, vice chairman, and of the Dan River District, said, and added the county’s current security measures were sufficient.
Simms said Ziglar may disagree with that assessment, and added the security requested is outlined in the state code.
Overby said it isn’t and noted the requirements Simms referenced were for circuit courts, not for Juvenile and Domestic Relations or General District courts.
“We have this floor secured by a deputy all day long, and I believe that what we have meets the requirements and we do not need to secure the entire facility. I just spent half the day over at Carroll County looking at their facility today, they have absolutely no access control for the entire building with the exception of the court wing, and that is where the court clerk and everybody for the courts is located. Everything else in the building is completely open, they use a key for every door,” he said.
As long as the third floor is staffed with the deputy as required to do so, Overby said he doesn’t think security measures need to go any further.
“If there’s a concern with people walking into county administration – lock the door,” he said.
“So, just let her know that it is the Board of Supervisors’ opinion that we meet the requirements,” Simms asked.
Doug Perry, of the Smith River District, said he believes the board may want to discuss the issue, and the specific security elements, further.
“I think it’s jumping the gun to say that right now. I think we need to have more discussion before we go to Judge Ziglar and say, “hey, look the whole board says that the top floor is good enough.’ I think we need to hash this out,” Perry said.
“I don’t think we need to create a deterrent for people to come into this facility and conduct their business. They come here to pay their taxes, they come in here to go to the DMV, they should not be forced to go through a metal detector to get into the building,” Overby said, adding that a single point of entry could be made right now.
Clayton Kendrick, of the Mayo River District, asked if the other doors had key card locks on them.
Simms replied they did not.
“Carroll County does not have key card locks, they have keys,” Overby said.
Kendrick asked if all courts could be held in the other courthouse. Simms said she couldn’t answer that question, and added it would be a question for the judges.
“I just believe that we meet the requirements per the state right now, and if we go any further, we’re going above and beyond,” Overby said.
Kendrick believes the administration office, the Treasurer’s office, and the Commissioner of Revenue’s office could reasonably be secured with just an electronic lock and a camera to see who’s at the door.
“That will secure that down there and you got security up here,” Kendrick said.
“And we could save a whole lot more money just by locking the door and walking over to open it,” Overby said.
Simms said the request isn’t trying to be a deterrent for people to pay their taxes or obtain a building permit.
“That is not it at all. We were requested by the judge to look at key card entry for the other entrances and exits, have a single point of entry that way we can track people coming in and out better, that’s phase one,” Simms said.
“We can set up a single point of entry by simply locking the doors. I mean that’s not that hard. We don’t have to physically put card access on the doors, we can just lock the doors and say everybody has to come in the front door. It’s simple and doesn’t cost us a dime,” Overby said.
When a judge comes to her and asks for this, Simms said it feels like it’s her job to bring it to the board.
“If you all don’t want to approve it, then like I said, I execute the board’s wishes. I’m just explaining to you her concern and her request,” Simms said.
Overby said the current measures are meeting the requirement for the third floor, and asked Patrick County Sheriff Dan Smith for input.
Smith said the county is meeting the legal requirements.
“We have a deputy up here every day because the clerks of both district and juvenile domestic relations court clerks are here 40 hours a week. Just like the circuit court, we have a deputy full-time up there. You cannot get into the court complex, which is the third floor here, without going through a metal detector and a deputy,” Smith said.
State law requires that courthouses have specific security, he said. However, that doesn’t apply to other government entities. On the third floor, where court cases are heard, Smith said the county complies with the state code.
“This entire building is not the courthouse – it’s just this floor. If we’re meeting that requirement then I don’t think we need to spend funds any further,” Overby said.
The board also discussed using part of the unassigned fund balance to fund some one-time capital requests and directed Simms to bring a summary of dues and memberships to them and ask the Patrick County Education Foundation for the sum needed to launch the Patrick Promise.
The board approved removing $15,000 earmarked to pay an outside consultant – in this case Davenport & Company, LLC, which would have provided advice on the county’s financial policies. The board also declined to provide water cooler usage for any offices that have town water.
