County Supervisors nominate Board of Equalization members to hear real estate re-assessment appeals, revisits ‘don’t panic’ over tax implications theme, and okay staff re-classifications

Following a nearly one-hour Closed Session without the initially planned Shenandoah Farms Sanitary District Advisory Committee participation (the SFSDAC meeting was cancelled that afternoon), the Warren County Board of Supervisors nominated Board of Equalization members for appointment by the court, approved an IT annual service contract and 11 staff position re-classifications. With the staff re-classifications having been discussed at length at two work sessions, all 11 were unanimously approved without board discussion following their individual presentations by Human Resources Director Jane Meadows. See those re-classifications with the involved department head cited, at the end of this story.

The Board of Equalization nominations were pulled from a four-item Consent Agenda to facilitate the individual nominations of three members and one alternate. Those members and the alternate are appointed by the county Circuit Court. Nominated to fill out a three-member board to preside over appeals related to the 2023 General Assessment were Jen Avery, Brian Conley, and Thomas Lockhart. Amanda Slate was nominated as the alternate. The nominations were all unanimous.

County Administrator Ed Daley, left, is flanked by substitute County Attorney Jason Botkins, in for Jason Ham. Daley presented the IT Director’s informational video on assessments and appeals to the board and public. Below, instructions on appeals from that video.

During his report County Administrator Ed Daley presented an informative public relations video made by IT Director Todd Jones addressing the coming 2023 Real Estate Assessments and their Real Estate Tax impacts that citizens are anticipating receiving by month’s end. Jones reiterated the point that by law municipal governments must revisit their tax rates when reassessments raise tax revenue by more than one percent. The base move is to adjust the tax rate down to a revenue-neutral point so that higher assessments do not automatically result in a tax windfall for that municipal government. Public Hearings must be held to justify a tax rate that results in a revenue increase of more than one percent for the municipal government, just as a public hearing must be held to justify a tax-rate increase in non-assessment years.

In his county website video Jones points out that the supervisors are likely to set the new tax rate in March or April for the new fiscal year. So, while the assessment notice he got indicated a 41% increase that would raise his Real Estate Tax rate from its 2021-2022 level of $1,817.63 to $2,549.91 in 2023, he points that is only were the tax rate to stay where it currently is. And with a board majority that has been in place for three years that likes to point out it has not raised taxes during that period despite experiencing the most inflationary economic period nationally in decades, if not a century or more, the odds the tax rate will remain anywhere near its current rate of 65.5 cents per $100 of assessed value would appear to be slim to none.

Go to the county website for information on how to file an appeal of your real estate assessment to the County’s Board of Equalization. But remember, don’t panic – the tax number you get in the mail is not the one that will be in effect when your taxes come due in June and December – probably, almost surely.

Board Clerk Emily Ciarrocchi informed us that Todd Jones’ video, along with all 2023 Reassessment information can be found by clicking the blue house icon on the homepage of the county website.

The supervisors are working their way towards a likely March or April resetting of the County Real Estate tax rate.

With no public hearings on its January 17 agenda – that comes next week at the new third monthly meeting this board has scheduled to cover the increase in public hearing numbers prompted by Short-Term Rental applications – this meeting adjourned at 7:47 p.m. But not before the board got an earful near the meeting’s outset from several citizens during Public Comments on non-agenda items. But that is a story for another day.

See those public comments, and the board’s discussion of its agenda items in the county video.

Item J – Reclassification Requests – Jane Meadows, Human Resources Director

1. Reclassification of Assistant Director of Parks & Recreation to Recreation Manager – Dan Lenz, Parks and Recreation Director
2. Reclassification of Facility Supervisor to Recreation Center Attendant – Dan Lenz, Parks and Recreation Director
3. Reclassification of Recreation Assistant to Recreation Center Attendant – Dan Lenz, Parks and Recreation Director
4. Reclassification of Custodial Supervisor to Operations Manager – Mike Berry, Public Works Director
5. Reclassification of Public Works Foreman to Operations Manager – Mike Berry, Public Works Director
6. Reclassification of Parks Maintenance Crew Supervisor to Operations Manager – Mike Berry, Public Works Director
7. Reclassification of Finance Administrative Assistant as Accounting Technician – Alisa Scott, Finance Director
8. Reclassification of Payroll/Personnel Technician as Human Resources Generalist – Jane Meadows, Human Resources Director
9. Reclassification of Building Inspector (1 position) to Senior Building Inspector – David Beahm
10. Reclassification of Finance Accounting Technician to Senior Accounts Coordinator – Alisa Scott, Finance Director
11. Reclassification of Grounds Equipment Operator (1 position) to Maintenance Foreman – Mike Berry, Public Works Director