ATTA News

ATTA Challenges County Government - It's time to Follow Through on Good Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (ATTA) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 02:34:00 +0000

The Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance (ATTA) has been advocating for county government to identify and implement operational efficiencies and more careful capital expenditures. Better stewardship of tax revenues contributed by taxpayers leads to more responsible government.

ATTA has publicly recognized the Albemarle County School Board for conducting its Resource Utilization Review and paying heed to its results. ATTA is encouraged by the preliminary work being done by the School Board to implement the report's recommendations.

ATTA has repeatedly recommended that general county government should conduct a similar review and follow its recommendations. ATTA is encouraged at the growing support within the Board of Supervisors for such a review:

Ken Boyd has been pushing for years for the county to perform a comprehensive evaluation of its budgeting process.
Dennis Rooker (WINA, April 3, 2008) "... (we are) continuing to do a thorough look at the budget for efficiencies. I think that there will be momentum for the Board to do an efficiency study much like the Resource Utilization Study that schools just completed."
David Slutzky indicated on (WINA, April 7, 2008) that he would support the county doing a similar exercise as the School Board has done.

It appears that we only need the support of one more supervisor to move forward.

ATTA suggests the following actions:

The School Division should continue its study and implementation of the findings in its Resource Utilization Study by doing the following:

Identify each cost saving measure or change suggested by the Resource Utilization Study that are under consideration.
Provide a timeline to the public for the analysis and implementation of each measure.
As each of the measures move to implementation, publish estimated savings or cost additions to the school division for yearly operating or future capital expenditure.

Local Government, in the absence of a more comprehensive program, should continue its current Programs and Service Review initiative. The goal of this program is a 10% reduction in operating expenses, as targeted in the budget manual. However, optimum results would be achieved with commission of an outside group to conduct a 'Resource Utilization' type study, similar to that conducted by the School Division. This professional approach would provide:

A thorough knowledge of government "best practices" and appropriate "benchmarks" to ensure that Albemarle County programs are both effective and efficient.
A disciplined approach to the measurement of service levels, for example if 1.5 police offices per 1,000 population is a the objective standard, what can our citizens expect in specific benefits in terms of reduced crime, higher conviction rates etc.
Thinking that is creative and innovative in recognition of opportunities.
Clearly identified cost savings and a time line for implementation of more effective and efficient government.

In this way, the Board would continue to make progress immediately with its current Program and Service Review initiative, and then merge those efforts into a more comprehensive "Resource Utilization" activity.

ATTA challenges the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors to show its commitment to more responsible government today. While the tax rate is an important issue, how we get there is more important. It's time to change the process. It's time for the Board to demonstrate its commitment to efficient government and effective use of taxpayer's money.

Dennis Rooker (WINA, April 3, 2008): "Part of our job is to make sure the county operates like a business, to make certain that it's efficient."

It's time to stop talking; it's time to start acting.

There is no more blood in the turnip. There is no more tolerance in the taxpayer.

We call on county government to do what is right.

Albemarle Truth in Taxation's March Newsletter Now Available

noreply@blogger.com (ATTA) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 23:57:00 +0000

You can now find the Albemarle Truth in Taxation's March newsletter over in our research section. Keith provides a Tax Rate 101 tutorial that describes the proper perspective with which to view changes in your tax rates, while Peter looks at a Supervisor's recent infamous "pizza and beer" comment and shows how one person's tax increase means less pizza and beer but, more commonly, another person's tax increase makes it harder to afford a Medicare co-pay or doctor's visit.

Introducing ATTA's Tax Calculator

noreply@blogger.com (ATTA) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:19:00 +0000

Today we've added a very simple tool to our website that lets you see how your real estate taxes in Albemarle County would change under a variety of tax rates (current rate = $0.68/$100 of assessed value). Head on over, plug in your property's assessed value, change the tax rate assumption, and see what the upcoming county budget discussions mean to your pocketbook.

County Under Fire Over Rescue Station Spending

noreply@blogger.com (ATTA) — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 15:10:00 +0000

Thanks in large part to the extensive research completed by Peter Wurzer of the Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance, the Daily Progress has picked up the story of how Albemarle County residents are concerned about the significant cost overruns involved with the Hollymead Fire Rescue Station. The station's grand opening occurs at 2pm this afternoon.

The new station, originally budgeted at $3.7m in 2004, ended up costing nearly $5.9m. In response to concerns over the cost, county spokesperon Lee Catlin mentioned the needs for extra community rooms, office space, bunkrooms, and UVA design requirements.

While we take no issue with the need for a new fire rescue station in Hollymead, the issue is: should it have cost $5.9m, nearly 60% over budget?

Should it contain a community meeting room when we already have on available at nearby Hollymead School?
Should the bathrooms have four different kinds of tiles with tiled accent courses driving up costs?
Should we have sculptured ceilings in the main hallway and lounge?
Is a floor medallion needed at the intersection of the main hallways?
Did we really have to have a portico on the back and four columns on the front?

The questions are not merely academic at this point, as there are two more fire rescue stations in the works. Can we come back down to earth and build a structure that meets appropriate needs without careless spending of taxpayer dollars?

Undoubtedly, the architectural requirements at North Fork necessitated some higher costs for the Hollymead station. Nonetheless, this was known well in advance, and doesn't answer the question of why the estimated cost was calculated so badly during the plan's inception.

As plans for the two future stations get underway, taxpayers need to be wary of any estimate that's provided by the county. Why? Look no further than Hollymead.

City/County Revenue Sharing 101 - The Annexation and Revenue Sharing Agreement between Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville

noreply@blogger.com (ATTA) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:01:00 +0000

Although the issue of revenue sharing came up during last year's budget discussions, it's back in fuller force this year as Board of Supervisor's chairman Ken Boyd has questioned some of the assumptions underlying the agreement.

The Annexation and Revenue Sharing Agreement was adopted by Charlottesville & Albemarle in 1982 due to Charlottesville’s threat to annex a large amount of Albemarle’s tax base (see the county's executive summary here).

How does it work? In return for the promise by Charlottesville not to annex our land (i.e., tax base), Albemarle pays a lump sum to Charlottesville every year based partially on our tax base.

Although state law later prohibited cities from being able to annex land from counties, the Revenue Sharing Agreement did not go away and remains in place today.

This year, the Revenue Sharing Agreement will result in a lump sum payment to Charlottesville of $13.6 million.

The Agreement (Section V) required Charlottesville and Albemarle to study the consolidation of services, such as fire and rescue emergency services. Nothing came of that effort.

Today--26 years later--there are no ongoing discussions about consolidating services. Yet Albemarle has paid Charlottesville over $600,000 per year for the last seven years for emergency services—and is considering to do so for another five years!

Why is Albemarle paying Charlottesville for services that should have been combined under the Agreement’s original intent?

Let’s ask the Albemarle Board of Supervisors to discuss in good faith with Charlottesville the consolidation of services—thereby making better use of our tax dollars!

A Different Perspective on the School Board Budget

noreply@blogger.com (ATTA) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:29:00 +0000

Most likely, you've noticed that the local media has lately been taking much greater interest in the county budget discussions. Recently, the Daily Progress covered the school budget debate. Given relatively small enrollment growth, why is spending increasing so dramatically every single year?

Although there are certain clear reasons for why spending may need to increase above the current baseline (fuel prices, unfunded mandates, etc), a key question is- can our schools operate more efficiently so that the baseline could potentially be lowered?

This is not new ground. To see a wide array of options regarding how our schools could operate more efficiently, check out the Resource Utilization Study, recently completed on behalf of the School Board. After reading through it, you'll likely come to the conclusion that instead of automatically building cost increases on top of current spending, maybe we should be taking a closer look at how we're already spending existing funds.

Peter Wurzer Interviewed at Charlottesville News & Arts Weekly

noreply@blogger.com (ATTA) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:44:00 +0000

For those of you interested in learning a little more about Peter and his efforts through the Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance, check out this brief C-ville.com interview with him.

The Growing Tax Burden - DP

noreply@blogger.com (ATTA) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:11:00 +0000

Take some time to read this evening's editorial in the Daily Progress, which discusses how so many Albemarle County taxpayers have been squeezed by skrocketing county budgets.

The Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance is working for you, making sure local media outlets pay attention to the alarming increases in government spending in our county. If you haven't already, subscribe to these future updates by feed or email, and send us a note with your thoughts on these issues.

In Case You Missed It - Daily Progress Talks Budgets

noreply@blogger.com (ATTA) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 16:37:00 +0000

In case you missed it, yesterday the Daily Progress posted an extensive story covering the past and present issues with the county budget.

As you read through it, notice how effectively the Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance is driving the discussion. Yet we can't rely on free press coverage alone. To help us expand our efforts and spread our message to taxpayers through Albemarle County, please consider sending a contribution of any size, using our donation form. We're also always looking for people willing to volunteer their time and talents.

NEW VIDEO: Keith Drake Discusses 2008 Budget Cycle on NBC29's "Political Pulse"

noreply@blogger.com (ATTA) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 15:34:00 +0000

Earlier this week, NBC29 profiled the efforts of the Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance in this year's county budget cycle. Catch Keith Drake's interview with NBC29, where he discusses this year's county budget cycle and the Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance's efforts to make sure it's a successful budget cycle for county taxpayers.

In addition to the video, you can check out NBC29's news column on the subject.

Invest in ATTA

noreply@blogger.com (ATTA) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 19:41:00 +0000

By donating to ATTA, you are investing in the principle of limited government and fiscal soundness, two things we certainly need more of in Albemarle County.

ATTA is completely financed by your contributions. All staff members work on a volunteer basis, so your money goes directly towards making a difference in our community. Few organizations produce greater impact per contribution than ATTA does.

We are currently assessing the potential to accept donations online. In the meantime, if you'd like to donate to ATTA please download this form (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, download here if needed), and mail to the address indicated. Be sure to fill out all lines on the form before sending to ATTA.

We get the government we deserve. No one else is waiting to do OUR work. Join ATTA Today!

Volunteer with ATTA

noreply@blogger.com (ATTA) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 19:13:00 +0000

There's so much you can do to help. Here are just a few ways:

Contact your Supervisor- today. They do listen. Call them, write them, and email them. Tell them you won't tolerate one penny of tax increase unless it's justified.

Write a letter to the editor. People do read them. The more letters the newspaper receives, the more Albemarle taxpayers will know about how we can improve the budgeting process.

Join ATTA. The more members we have, the louder our voice is. Fill out the membership application today!

Tell your friends, neighbors, coworkers, church and club members about this site and pass them a copy of our newsletter. The more people that know, the more likely we'll get a more honest and respectful budgeting process. Need hard copies? Email us and we'll send you some.

Participate, Volunteer, Help Out. Send us your ideas, comments, suggestions - help with membership drives, fundraising, and mailings - contribute your special talents - there's no one else to do the work but us!

Contact ATTA

noreply@blogger.com (ATTA) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:39:00 +0000

Thank you for visiting our site, and we'd love to hear from you. Use the form below to contact us with any questions, comments, suggestions, or concerns you may have.

Invite ATTA to speak to your community event! ATTA is more than happy to make presentations to local community groups on the issues of county taxes and spending. If you're looking for a guest speaker on an issue of local importance, let us know.

About ATTA

noreply@blogger.com (ATTA) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:35:00 +0000

The Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance was formed in 2007 in response to the dramatically increasing property tax burdens felt by many county residents. Founded by Keith Drake and Christian Schoenewald, the organization has multiple board members, a dedicated research director who leads ATTA's Budget Watch Committee, and many volunteers and members who donate their time.

To learn more about ATTA, visit the links in navigation bar above, subscribe to updates by email or feed, and see how you can get involved. You can also review how ATTA was involved in the 2007 process here.

COMING SOON: pictures and brief biographies of ATTA's leadership team.

Town Hall Meeting Follow-Up

noreply@blogger.com (ATTA) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 04:36:00 +0000

Thanks again to everyone who attended our Town Hall meeting Monday evening. Many of you shared your perspectives on how you felt ATTA could be even more effective at spreading its message and helping you better understand how the county budget process works. Here's a list of enhancements we've made to the Research section since Monday's meeting:

Our Research section is now split between ATTA-created resources (newsletter, presentations, etc.) and external resources
You can now download the School Board's Resource Management Review
We've put up a guide on how to track down county Department organizational charts
The Virginia Constituent Viewpoint's hotline number has been posted, along with how to determine who your legislator is and what other methods are available to get in touch with him/her
We've posted a link to RichmondSunlight.com, a terrific resource for statewide legislative information
Details on where to find the county's past and present budgets are available
We've linked to where you can find ATTA's PAC disclosures in the public record (courtesy of the Virginia Public Access Project)
We will post Peter Wurzer's presentation from Monday in very short time, so subscribe to our updates either by feed or email to receive an update as soon as it's posted.

In addition, the contact form has been updated so you can fill in your address if you'd prefer to receive ATTA's publications by regular mail.

Thanks again for all your support and comments/suggestions. If you happened to miss our meeting or have other comments/suggestions to share, please contact us, we'd love to hear from you!

Welcome ATTA Town Hall Attendees!

noreply@blogger.com (ATTA) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:39:00 +0000

Thank you to everyone who came out tonight to ATTA's Town Hall meeting. There's so much at stake in this year's budget cycle, and we need your enthusiasm and support to help make sure it's a successful budget cycle for Albemarle County taxpayers.

Since this is likely your first time visiting the site, take some time to look around. Be sure to sign up for ongoing updates so you will always know what events are coming up, when ATTA is in the news, when the latest newsletters and research are available, and many other benefits. You can receive email updates, subscribe in a feed reader, or bookmark us.

Note a few items as you browse our site:

Since this site is brand new, the "Search" functionality is still evolving. As the site grows, this functionality will greatly improve.
Past and current presentations to the Research section will be added soon.
Short biographies of ATTA's leadership team are coming shortly to the About page.
If you'd like to financially support ATTA's efforts, please do so now! We currently cannot accept donations online but are hoping to do so in the future. For now, all you have to do is complete the donation form and mail to the address indicated.
Please contact us with any questions, concerns, suggestions, or comments you have about ATTA, the website, or anything else.

Thanks for stopping by! We hope to see you at the Board of Supervisor's Public Budget Hearing #1, currently scheduled for March 5th at 6pm. View our calendar for a full schedule of events.

What Happened in 2007

noreply@blogger.com (ATTA) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:02:00 +0000

For those not familiar with ATTA's success in its inaugural year (2007), below you can find a handful of news articles outlining what issues were at stake that year, and how ATTA drove the public discussion:

3/8/07 - "County Tax Talk Heats Up", Daily Progress
3/20/07 - "GOP Wants Straight Answers", Daily Progress
4/5/07 - "Another Budget Outcry", Daily Progress
4/7/07 - "School's Community Program Challenged", C-ville
4/9/07 - "County Attacked for Tax Rate", C-ville

NBC 29 Chats With Peter Wurzer

noreply@blogger.com (ATTA) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 04:37:00 +0000

With Albemarle County budget planning in full swing, ATTA's Director of Research Peter Wurzer talks with NBC 29 about the dangers of focusing on how the county can get more money to cover its shortfall, instead of focusing on how current funds are being spent.

ATTA February Newsletter Now Available

noreply@blogger.com (ATTA) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:32:00 +0000

You can now find the February ATTA newsletter over in our publications section. Keith recaps ATTA's 2007 success and discusses the challenges of the 2008 process, while Peter presents his humorous (and shocking) "What Were They Thinking" analysis of county government's spending.

Stay tuned as we'll be adding much more material to the publications section over the next couple months.

Upcoming ATTA Town Hall Meeting - 2/25/08

noreply@blogger.com (ATTA) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:29:00 +0000

We hope to see you at our upcoming town hall meeting Monday, February 25th at 7pm at Lane Auditorium in the Albemarle County Office Building (click here for map). Peter, Keith, and Christian will discuss recent developments in the budget process, upcoming budget meetings, and what's at stake this year. They will also be happy to answer any and all questions presented.

See you there!

Welcome to ATTA's New Website

noreply@blogger.com (ATTA) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 19:43:00 +0000

The Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance is thrilled to share its new website with you. Please make full use of our website to learn more about the county budget process and stay up to date on everything happening with ATTA.

On the right sidebar you'll see the various ways you can stay tuned to ATTA news, oftentimes without even having to visit our site! You can subscribe to ATTA news via an RSS reader, receive periodic email updates, and/or bookmark us to your favorites. If you're active in social networking or bookmarking sites, the bookmark link provides many other avenues for you to share what you find hear across the web.

Whether you're wanting to browse our publications, make a donation, volunteer your time, or learn everything there is to know about ATTA, you've come to the right place. Questions, concerns, or comments? Feel free to contact us anytime.