The District 5 Report is designed to keep you up to date on activities in and around our area. Residents and homeowner associations are encouraged to share the information with others in their communities. I will gladly add you to the distribution list upon request to either tgshep@cox.net or shepperd@yorkcounty.gov. Please include your name and home address in the request. Comments and questions are always welcome.*
Regards,
Tom
Thomas G. Shepperd, Jr.
District 5 Representative
York County Board of Supervisors
(C) 757-903-1875
(H) 757-868-8591
shepperd@yorkcounty.gov
tgshep@cox.net
--------------------July 2022 District 5 Report and Crime Watch Update--------------------
1. Personal Property Tax – The June 2022 tax bill was a bit of a shocker for many, especially those with relatively new cars and trucks. Supply chain issues, lack of production, the unavailability of computer chips and the increasing demand for new and used vehicles all played a role in driving up the price of new and used vehicles. Yes, the County could have made an earlier adjustment in the personal property tax rate, which is currently $4.00 per $100.00 of value but it didn't. At the time of approval on May 3rd, the tax rate was considered relatively low, and our focus was on lowering the real estate tax rate. Remember, at that time the State had not approved its budget and the County was concerned over the possible loss of revenue such as the $3 million we receive from the grocery tax. I have heard criticism that York County should have stepped up and lowered the rate like some other jurisdictions. What's missing in the criticism is an understanding that most of the jurisdictions that did lower their rates only brought their rates down to a level comparable to York County's. For example, Isle of Wright County dropped their rate from $4.50 to $3.90 and James City County lowered their rate to $4.00 but raised their real estate tax rate.
Now that the budgets and tax rates have been passed and the personal property tax bills are in hand for the first half of the year, how is the County going to address the unexpected tax rate issue? First, in the near term, the County is allowing for extended payments through September 30, 2022, with only a 2% penalty. Normally, the payment penalty would increase to 10% starting on July 21. This will allow you to make tax payments over several months. For hardship cases where someone faces a choice between putting food on the table or paying their taxes, the County on a case-by-case basis is using a means test that is similar to the elderly and disabled relief real estate tax means test to help reduce the burden of personal property tax. The criteria for tax relief are that your income must be less than $55,000, you must be current on all personal property tax payments, and your 2022 personal property taxes must have increased by at least $100. Maximum relief per household is $250. The application process for the Personal Property Tax Relief Hardship Program is being administered by the County's Department of Community Services. Call 757-890-3885 or email to housing@yorkcounty.gov for more information.
The second personal property tax bill will be sent out in December 2022. Currently, the County is working to establish an equitable way to provide County taxpayers with meaningful tax relief that will be reflected in the December bill. At the time of this report, it is estimated that the County will have a revenue surplus of approximately $3 to $3.5 million to help address the personal property tax issue. I anticipate that many but not all the December 2022 tax bills will be equal to or slightly lower than the December 2021 bill. Most of the tax bills will be substantially lower than the June 2022 tax bills.
2. Why is the County buying a $1.3 million fire truck? The Supervisors go to great lengths to get ahead of potential disasters. York County has a professional fire department with an exceptional fire and life safety reputation. Providing our fire department with proper equipment is essential to outstanding service demanded by our citizens. The County has operated two ladder trucks for many years. These trucks provide greater flexibility for fighting fires, help reduce the requirements for additional fire equipment, and play a role in reducing homeowner insurance costs, which is partially based on local government's firefighting capability. Fire trucks age differently that other vehicles. They are driven more aggressively, exposed to harsh emergency environments, and idle for extensive periods of time for quick response. They are not like regular street cars and trucks. They age faster. For example, the ladder truck we are replacing may have nearly 100,000 miles in two years by the time we receive the new truck, but the equivalent mileage will be approximately 200,000 miles.
3. What is going on with the remodeling of the Riverwalk Restaurant and the cracked beam in the parking garage on Water Street as issues? As for the restaurant, keep in mind that the County owns the building, and the Marcon Co. owns the restaurant business that is in the building . The building is 20 years old, which as I understand it, makes it due for a renovation. Also, the building was not originally designed with two restaurants in mind. The current arrangement with two kitchens is inefficient. The business owner wishes to expand capacity, enhance the dining experience on the waterfront, and improve efficiency by consolidating the kitchens.
The cost for the remodeling will be shared on a percentage basis between the York County Economic Development Authority (62.5%) and the Marcon Co. (37.5%). The County has set aside $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, which is one time money provided to us by the Federal Government. The Marcon Co. will provide approximately $1.5 million. The remainder, if needed will come from the County's Economic Development Authority (EDA) Capital Fund or the Board of Supervisors' Economic Development Fund. This is a "Place Making" effort that is important to the social and economic vitality of York County.
As for the cracked beam, our first concern with the garage is public safety. That is why we initially closed the garage and hired an expert engineer to survey the damage. As it turns out, the crack in the beam is superficial, meaning it only needs cosmetic repair. The beam is structurally sound and the upper deck of the garage is now open for parking.
4. The new Sheriff's Office Building. The estimated cost of the new building is approximately $25 million. It has been in the County's Capital Improvement Plan for quite some time. The Sheriff's Office moved into the current building in 1998. There have been three space studies, and each identified the need for more space. Current, bathroom facilities are very limited (prisoners and staff must use the same facility), there's no conference room and several closets have been turned into offices. There is literally no more space for additional employees.
York County has a population of about 70,000. Based on a standard of 1.8 deputies per 1,000 population, the County should have 126 deputies. We believe the current force of 110 deputies is sufficient to meet our law enforcement needs. However, over the coming years, we know the force will need to grow. The space study for the new building identified a need for a 53,000 sq. ft. building. The new building has a build out of 40 years. It will have a training facility, showers for emergency operations, and a community room for groups that interact with the Sheriff's Office. We do not want to experience the problem that James City County experienced when in 2009 the County built a 47,000 sq. ft. building only to find that today they are out of room.
5. Beale's Restaurant on Route 17. The County's Economic Development Authority (EDA) acquired the property for $450,000. The idea is to expand business in the County that is compatible with the surrounding communities. The EDA had the land cleared and water and sewer installed. Beale's was identified as a desirable business and approached by the EDA. An agreement was reached, and Beale's bought the property for $400,000 with a loan from the EDA. The EDA established a loan forgiveness plan where $200,000 of the loan would be forgiven once Beale's receives a Certificate of Occupancy. At the first 6- and 12-month periods of operations, Beale's will receive additional loan forgiveness of $75,000 each period. Originally, there was a time limit to establish the restaurant but once the pandemic hit and materials became nearly impossible to acquire, the Supervisors extended the limit. The stipulation is that Beale's must continue to make a good faith effort to build the restaurant, which it has. As our community continues to open and the pandemic recedes, we believe the taxes from the building and land along with the food and beverage tax will cover the cost to the County. Beale's will very likely help to stimulate additional business growth along Route 17.
6. The Tabb Pressure Reducing Station (PRS) and Offline Storage Facility (OLSF) project is currently in design development. One storage tank was removed from the plan to reduce project costs. The project design will be completed this summer and construction of the facility will begin in early 2023.
7. Crime Watch. While the number of cases involving larceny from vehicles has declined, the number of arrests for illegal possession of a weapon has increased.
a. The 7-11 store murders on the Newport News side of Kiln Creek remain unsolved. The incident involved a masked individual coming into the store and shooting the owner and an employee. Both died because of their injuries. The Newport News police are actively working the case.
b. The York County Sheriff's Office responded to a call late at night of individuals on the pier in Historic Yorktown brandishing firearms. It appears that two males and two females were making a video with their guns. When the deputies showed up, the individuals fled the scene but were arrested later that night after ditching the weapons. The weapons have been recovered. One individual was charged with carrying a concealed weapon without a permit and for being a convicted felon in possession of a weapon.
c. Very recently, a large group of people on Friday and Saturday night have been riding around and gathering at various places on the Peninsula. In and of itself, this is not a crime. However, when the gathering becomes large, noisy, and bit rowdy, law enforcement will move in to break up the crowd. The crowd that the Sheriff's Department was recently involved with had, that same night, been run out of Newport News by the city police. The group then decided to show up at the parking lot near the Pub in Historic Yorktown. Again, this was late at night. It is estimated that approximately 100 cars were in the group. The Sheriff's Department arrested two individuals on weapons possession and suggest that the others might want to leave York County. They did and headed to Hampton where they once again became rowdy to a point where one individual was shot in the butt by another crowd member. This is just an example of some of the things our law enforcement must deal with.
d. The Sheriff's Department reports that 90% of all stollen guns are taken from vehicles. Please do us all a favor and remove your guns and secure your vehicles.
* Comments and opinions expressed in the District 5 Report are authorized and approved by me and do not necessarily represent the position of other elected representatives. All email correspondence to and from this address is subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and to the Virginia Public Records Act, which may result in monitoring and disclosure to third parties, including law enforcement.
