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Albemarle County

Lynchburg chamber seeks help with Charlottesville bypass

photo by taberandrewThe Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce and state Sen. Steve Newman are seeking help from the governor and attorney general to solve “a 20-year impasse on the proposed Charlottesville bypass of U.S. 29.”

Charlottesvile was to have acquired right-of-way and planned a bypass for the highway, and accepted $50 million in state funds to do so.

Albemarle County continues to route U.S. 29 through a commercial strip with about 20 traffic lights.

Homeowners, especially commuters, would benefit from a less congested highway with fewer delays.

Read more in the Lynchburg News & Advance....

Posted on Monday, May 10, 2010 - 6:00pm

Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors releases market report

CAARThe Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors has released a local home market report showing median home prices nearly $20,000 lower in the first quarter of this year compared to last year. The same report also notes that more homes are selling now, and that there are fewer houses on the market this year than last.

“It’s pretty much a flat market and it doesn’t surprise me at all,” said Barbara McMurry, president-elect of CAAR and a managing broker at Montague Miller and Co. in Albemarle County. “The median price was down, which can be bad news for a seller, but the inventory was also down. That will help stabilize prices.”

Read more in the Charlottesville Daily Progress....

Posted on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 - 7:36pm

Budgets are balancing

In Staunton, residents will pay higher personal property taxes, more fees for water and sewer services, and see the Montgomery Hall Park swimming pool closed for the season. In Spotsylvania County, business owners may pay 42% more in property taxes next year. Henry County officials scrambled to find money to pay a deputy. In Charlottesville and Albermarle County, bad weather cost money by leading to reduced sales tax revenues.

Everywhere in Virginia, discussions are underway -- how will we balance our budgets?

Read more in the local news....

Posted on Friday, April 9, 2010 - 8:10am

Local governments deal with budget issues

Schools and governments statewide are dealing with declining revenues, in part due to lower property assessments. There aren't a lot of solutions available to officials -- in general, they have to raise taxes, cut services, or both.

Read more in local news outlets:

Posted on Thursday, April 8, 2010 - 8:00am

Local governments pinched by declining revenue, climbing expenses

School and county Boards of Directors are struggling to balance budgets amid declining tax revenues, cuts in state funding, and rising expenses. What they choose to do could affect homeowners for years to come.

Read more in local news....

Posted on Thursday, April 1, 2010 - 10:42pm

Local governments do what it takes to balance budgets

Officials in cities and counties throughout Virginia are doing what they can to balance their budgets. Programs and jobs are being trimmed away, fees and taxes are rising, and stronger measures are being considered to bring tax scofflaws into compliance.

Read more in local news outlets....

 

Posted on Monday, March 29, 2010 - 3:49pm

Albemarle County will not raise property taxes

The Albemarle Board of Supervisors has voted for a tax rate of 74.2 cents per $100 of assessed value, the same as it is now. At that rate, the average homeowner will pay about $90 less in real-estate taxes this year than last year.

Not everyone is happy about the tax reduction -- some fear it could lead to painful cuts to school programs.

The Board of Supervisors will have a public hearing on the proposed budget and tax rate at 6 p.m. March 31 in Lane Auditorium of the County Office Building. Supervisors are allowed to set a tax rate lower than the advertised rate but cannot raise it without readvertising the adjusted rate.

Posted on Thursday, March 18, 2010 - 8:37am

Charlottesville Mayor Seeks to Establish Affordable Housing Fund

According to the Daily Progress, Charlottesville Mayor David Norris has sought twice before to establish a dedicated affordable housing fund for the City. With a new Council he sees an opportunity to create a fund to ensure that affordable housing programs would always be financed.  The Mayor has always felt strongly about prioritizing affordable housing, as he campaigned on the initiative. Some members of City Council like the concept but are skeptical of the fiscal impact. VHA strongly supports affordable housing initiatives.  Whether it's first time homebuyers or existing owners, affordable housinng broadens housing opportunities.

 

Read the full story...

Posted on Friday, January 29, 2010 - 1:22pm

Albemarle County Dedicated to Improving Development Process

According to Charlottesville Tomorrow, the County is seeking to improve their development process. Recognizing that some parts of the process are cumbersome and may impede progress, they are re-examining their rules and regulations with the hope of streamlining  their procedures for future development.  For potential homeowners, the development process and conditions imposed on the developer may ultimately increase the home price. For current homeowners, long permitting processes can drag out the time of construction, which may or may not be a hindrance to your existing neighborhood.

 

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Posted on Monday, January 18, 2010 - 3:10pm

Conservative Influence May Lead to Albemarle Tax Cut

cvilletomorrowA conservative movement was afoot on Albemarle's Board of Supervisors last week, as evidenced by a three-part action plan introduced by one of its members.  The resolution calls for a reduced real estate tax rate, a more comprehensive and transparent budgeting progress, and a greater focus on recruiting new businesses to the County.

Economic development efforts are key to a locality's fiscal stability.  Because businesses also pay taxes, that creates a good balance of commercial versus residential revenue.  Overall, this is good for residents, especially homeowners, because the County relies less on the residential sector to fund its services.

There remains some contention about the budgeting process, so it is yet to be determined how that aspect will be handled.

 

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Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010 - 1:37pm