Citizens' group asks for 20 cent tax rate

Alleghany Citizens for Fairness representative Gleason James urged the county to adopt a 20 cent tax rate, in lieu of the proposed revenue neutral rate for 2007-2008 of 44 cents per $100 in value. The county's current tax rate is 70 cents per $100.

James said he has been watching the county 'go down' for the past 27 years as jobs, affordable housing and farms are all disappearing. He said the county's residents spoke through their votes and had elected three young commissioners to represent them, noting, "You young people have the future in your hands. The three new ones were elected because people of Alleghany County wanted to go in a new direction."

James urged the commission to cut spending, which he said is "only accomplished by this board saying enough is enough and sticking to your guns."

Citizens for Fairness was set up to be a watchdog group, said James. "It is well organized and it has been well planned," he noted, adding that the group is not going to go away.

Of the budget figures, James said the group feels a 20 cent tax rate is possible for the county and that the cuts necessary can be made without taking away services. "Our goal now is a low tax rate," he said. "We've found many areas where the budget can and should be cut, not increased." He later said the budget has "a whole lot of fat that needs to be cut."

He offered the group's services in helping the county come up with budget cuts and other information. "This is an offer tonight from the Citizens for Fairness group to work with you and come up with a fair tax rate," James said. Earlier he had noted, "We believe we can be an asset. There's no way you can see everything that goes on in the county."

James also said employees of the county are afraid to speak with the representatives of Citizens for Fairness. "This is not the 1930s when your politics got you a job and kept you a job," said James. He noted that the county needs to take care of its employees.

When he had stopped speaking, James asked the commissioners and audience if they had questions.

Commissioner Chairman Ken Richardson told James that the board would not allow back-and-forth comments from the floor. The commissioners had earlier opened the meeting with a 30 minute window for public comments, but typically don't allow comments from the floor unless they are requested by the commissioners themselves during the course of a meeting.

James asked if he could talk to the audience member directly from the front of the room. Richardson said James could speak with the audience from his seat, if needed, but not from the podium.

James then said he would like to speak more, since he was not allowed to field questions from the audience. He pointed out that Richardson was a commissioner in 2004-2005 when the Bristol Compressor plant closed here, causing the county to incur a $23 million loss to its tax base. "If this group had been established, this would not have happened," James declared. "I'd greatly appreciate it if you would at least respect us enough to hear the things we have to say."

Richardson then thanked James for his comments as James walked to his seat.

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