NO Fire Tax- But Increase In Personal Property Tax & Real Estate Tax For Accomack Co.

If you were lucky enough to get a raise at the beginning of the year and thought maybe you might be able to get a little bit ahead....sorry.  I honestly don't know how much more our local and federal governments can take from us.

By Connie Morrison

The Accomack County Board of Supervisors met last night for a public hearing on the proposed unified fire district, and to consider a resolution to adopt the 2013 budget, which would include the unified districts.

In a move that apparently caught some members of the Accomack County Board of Supervisors by surprise, District 6 Supervisor Robert Crockett moved to adopt a budget resolution that did not address the creation of a single Fire Tax District. Instead, a substitute resolution was introduced to add 3.5 cents to the proposed 2012 real estate tax rate and 5 cents to the proposed 2012 personal property tax rate for general government, and to do away with an equivalent portion of the tax structure that has been traditionally referred to as the Fire and Rescue Tax.


The move came following the public hearing on the uniform fire district, when County Attorney Mark Taylor told the Board that he had received a communication from attorney Jon Poulson, representing Chincoteague. The material provided by Mr. Poulson suggests the Town of Chincoteagues firm commitment to fight inclusion in an Accomack County-wide fire district to the bitter end. Such a fight would put county funding for volunteer fire and rescue service on the mainland at risk.


The substitute resolution was then recommended to the Board by Mr. Taylor, and Supervisor Crockett moved adoption, with District 2 Supervisor Ron Wolff seconding the motion. The proposal avoided the question of making Chincoteague part of a county-wide district by maintaining the districts as they are, but dissolving the district-by-district taxation and replacing it with an equivalent amount that would flow into the county general fund. Mr. Crockett immediately called the question, which garnered a scathing reaction from District 1 Supervisor Wanda Thornton who was furious at what she saw as a deliberate attempt to exclude her.


"And Mr. Chesser's laughing and Mr. Crockett's smiling because they are in the loop. Some of the other people are not. And if you think this is a way to conduct a Board of Supervisors then, you know, I could say a whole lot more," exclaimed Thornton.


The motion passed on a vote of 7-2, with Supervisor Thornton and District 4 Supervisor Kay Lewis casting the dissenting votes.


The bottom line for real and personal property tax payers is that they will pay the amounts that were advertised, but the tax will no longer be divided into general government and fire and rescue. It remains to be seen how those general county revenues will be parceled back out to the fire companies.

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