Spotsylvania County

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Spotsylvania supervisors want more information about George Washington Toll Road Authority

Submitted on Wed, 04/28/2010 - 8:35pm

Spotsylvania County supervisors want more information about a proposed toll road authority. The first of two required public hearings about the creation of a George Washington Toll Road Authority didn't provide the information they hope to eventually receive.

One project the toll road authority is expected to fund is a new Interstate 95 interchange near the Virginia Welcome Center. The interchange would connect to a toll road that bypasses State Route 3 to Gordon Road, at a cost of $250 million.

"I do look forward to some detailed analysis and justification for when and where we will build this road," said Supervisor Gary Jackson.

Homeowners will want to be informed of any decisions made regarding the proposed Authority, as any projects undertaken will likely affect the level of taxes and fees households pay to the County. New construction and traffic patterns can also affect property values.

Read more in The Free Lance-Star....

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FAAR: Housing market improving

Submitted on Fri, 04/16/2010 - 5:02pm

City of FredericksburgThe Fredericksburg area housing market is showing signs of improvement. Houses are taking less time to sell -- an average of 83 days this year, in contrast to last year when homes spent an average of 121 days on the market. There is currently a 7.4-month supply of homes waiting to be sold.

Read more at the forum for the Fredericksburg Area Association of REALTORS®

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With good schools and low taxes on their minds, Virginia's counties and cities are balancing budgets

Submitted on Wed, 04/14/2010 - 6:17pm

Schools across the commonwealth are trimming their budgets where they can, even as they plead with county and city boards to provide more funds. Local government officials are left with the difficult task of balancing the needs of the schools -- and other departments -- with the urgent call to keep taxes low during the economic downturn.

Read more in your local press....

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Budgets are balancing

Submitted on Fri, 04/09/2010 - 8:10am

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....

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Fredericksburg area growing, but not as quickly

Submitted on Wed, 03/31/2010 - 9:23am

The population of the Fredericksburg region is growing, but not as quicky before, according to newly released U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Stafford and Spotsylvania counties, which had been growing 6% to 8% per year, now both have annual growth rates below 2%. That still puts them on the list of the 100 fastest-growing counties in the nation.

The slower growth has in turn caused a drop in revenue to local governments, a concern for homeowners who may see taxes rise to make up for the missing funds.

The news isn't all bad, though: "It will allow us to catch up on planning and infrastructure," Stafford County Administrator Anthony Romanello said. "Previous growth happened at such a rapid rate that it was difficult for us to keep up with the pace."

Read more at the Free-Lance Star....

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