Franklin County

Officials in Rocky Mount are facing mounting complaints about dilapidated homes and are exploring their options for dealing with the problem.

Four Virginia counties have approved budgets that will cost homeowners more in the coming fiscal year than they paid last year.

Franklin, Prince William, and Fairfax Counties approved budgets that included property tax increases. Botetourt County kept its tax rate the same, but bills to property owners are likely to increase due to rising assessments. Some Fairfax County residents will see lower tax bills due to dropping assessments, even though their tax rates have increased.

Homeowners are paying more, but keeping some popular items in the county budgets, including library services, school funding, and funding for non-profits.

Read more....

• Franklin County increases taxes (The Roanoke Times)
• Botetourt Co. adopts budget (The Roanoke Times)
• Pr. William adopts fiscal 2011 budget (The Washington Examiner)
• Fairfax board approves annual budget (The Washington Post)

Cities and counties across Virginia are working hard to balance their budgets, often hampered by the need to pay for schools and community programs with often-shrinking property tax funds. 

Read more in the local press....

• Citizens tell Gloucester supervisors to raise taxes for schools (Daily Press)
• Poquoson proposed budget, tax hike presented (Daily Press)
• Rocky Mount mulls budget options (The Roanoke Times)
• Bedford County cuts budget to hold taxes down (The Roanoke Times)
• Westmoreland will advertise budget with level funding (The Free-Lance Star)
• Council OKs fiscal ’11 budget (Charlottesville Daily Progress)

DirecTV is offering a work-at-home employment opportunity to 100 residents of Southwest Virginia. The virtual call center workers will earn $10 an hour plus benefits. One hundred new jobs will be a real boost for the local housing market. The money injected into the economy could be used to buy new homes or avert foreclosure for those homeowners near the brink.

Read more in these local news outlets:

• Hiring set to begin for DirecTV call handlers (The Roanoke Times)
• DirecTV plans to hire 100 for virtual call center (Bristol Herald)
• DirecTV plans to hire 100 'agents' in SW Virginia (The Kingsport-Times News)

Counties across the state are finalizing decisions about their school budgets. Read about local outcomes below:

• Proposed Richmond budget has no service cuts (The Richmond Times-Dispatch)
• Hampton identifies more revenues than originally thought, could reduce budget shortfall (The Daily Press)
• Roanoke County school system avoids layoffs (The Roanoke Times)
• Franklin County schools budget OK'd (The Roanoke Times)
• Increased enrollment could lessen budget blows for Appomattox schools (The Lynchburg News & Advance)
• City school board set to vote on budget Tuesday (The Lynchburg News & Advance)
• School budget approved (The Free-Lance Star)
• Spotsy schools to gain $1 mil (The Free-Lance Star)
• Will lower taxes create school crisis? (The Charlottesville Daily Progress)
• Wise school board considers five options for consolidation (The Kingsport Times-News)
• Hatrick hopes for funding reconsideration (Leesburg Today)