Tax rate hikes and pay raises in "very frugal" Albemarle County

Did you get at least a 2% pay raise last week for the new fiscal year that began seven days ago on July 1?

No? Well, you’re now paying for this kind of raise for hundreds of Albemarle County government (including school division) employees.

And guess what? You’re already being put on notice that you will more than likely be paying for another 2% raise for County employees in another twelve months.

At yesterday’s Albemarle Board of Supervisors meeting, County Executive Tom Foley had to reveal that a 2% pay raise is already assumed in the next fiscal year’s budget that will begin July 1, 2017.

This assumed pay raise is packaged inside a 3.8¢ real estate tax rate hike projected for your June 2017 and December 2017 tax bills.

But take heart as you crack open your wallets and purses even wider. At this same meeting where Tom mentioned these next “assumed” raises, Albemarle’s Director of the Office of Management and Budget Lori Allshouse called the expected 3.8¢ increase in the real estate tax rate for FY2018 “very frugal.”

Take that, all you spendthrift County residents! Another 3.8¢ on your tax rate is not just “frugal,” but “very frugal,” according to Ms. Allshouse.

And remember: such governmental frugality comes on top of the 2.0¢ real estate tax rate hike that was just added to your bills last month by this all Democrat Board of Supervisors.

Oh, but thinking just a bit further ahead, your projected real estate tax rate in Albemarle by June and December 2018 could very well be 91.1¢ per $100 value, according to current projections. If you don’t believe me, just ask Ms. Allshouse for a copy of the Power Point slide she’s been displaying showing Albemarle’s real estate tax rate growing by a full ten cents in the first four years of this all Democrat Board of Supervisors.

But wait one more second: there was another pertinent number from yesterday’s taxation talks at the Board of Supervisors meeting. Tom had to admit to his six Democrat bosses that Ms. Allshouse's “very frugal” tax rate increase is ON TOP OF another financial assumption — that the real estate that you own and are taxed on is expected to be assessed 1.7% higher in each of the upcoming years.

So, in addition to cracking open your wallets and purses ever wider, please proceed to turn your pockets inside out, empty the spare change jar on your kitchen counter, and dig under your sofa cushions for any loose, sticky coins among the popcorn kernels.

Or maybe consider some other move — perhaps out of Albemarle County!

*******************************************************************************

By the way, Mr. Foley got his own reward yesterday for playing nice with his six Democrat bosses. The Board voted 6-0 to give Tom a 2% raise, bumping his annual salary (not his total compensation, mind you) by four thousand of your tax dollars to $188,000 per year — a ("Very frugal?") paycheck of $3,615.00 per week.

However, there is a small silver lining in the Board's decision and announcement. Those of us interested in this kind of detail for evaluation purposes, didn’t have to invoke the Virginia Freedom of Information Act for a change to obtain Tom’s salary details. Amazingly, his salary number was included in the Board’s motion, second, and vote.

Frugal victories.