April 2, 2024: Councilor Oschrin takes aim at car culture with last-minute suggestion to increase personal property tax rate

Plus: Under a scenario discussed Monday, Council would still all four tax rates at its disposal

Does it matter where words are written, or how fast a person may be traveling while they are being written? For much of human existence, the ability to travel 400 miles in five or six hours would have been met with pitchforks and bonfires. Now it’s possible for a newsletter like Charlottesville Community Engagement to be written while in transit between two small cities, though this edition does not have a single story about a bus. I’m Sean Tubbs, ready to do the locomotion. 

In today’s installment:

• City Council’s newest member suggests steep increases in Charlottesville's personal property tax rate in a bid to reduce real estate and meals tax

• A longtime Charlottesville radio host loses his job after its revealed he’s buying a radio station 

• Charlottesville’s website will relaunch on April 17, one of several items in a written report from City Manager Sam Sanders

• Charlottesville will get a visit next week from a delegation from one of the Sister Cities

• An important chapter in area civil rights history will be marked on April 13 in this 65th anniversary year of the Charlottesville Twelve

First shout-out: WTJU Rock Marathon - April 15 through April 21

In today’s first Patreon-fueled shout-out: As I type these words I am overjoyed to find out that the WTJU Rock Marathon is coming up in 13 days, after I’m back from my latest trip out of Charlottesville. I speak with personal experience that one of the most exciting weeks to own a radio is when you can tune in to 91.1 FM or wtju.net to pick up a harmony of sounds! 

Vibrant tunes will unfold across the airwaves like spring blooms, bringing you a diverse array of textures and tones. Rock adjacent sounds and styles are included, bringing a kaleidoscopic week of terrific music that speaks to all tastes. There will also be two live concerts on the WTJU Stage, local bands Ostinato on April 19, and New Boss on April 20.

Now’s the time to check out the schedule and find the time you’ll make an appointment to tune in and experience the best week of radio anywhere! And if you want to go ahead and get your donation to WTJU in as well, I’m sure they would not mind. 

 

Councilor Oschrin calls for higher personal property taxes to deprioritize car culture 

Charlottesville budget staff are scrambling to recalculate revenue projections for the $251 million budget for fiscal year 2025 now that the City Council has directed them to research an increase in the personal property tax.

“What amount of a [personal] property tax increase would replace half a percent increase in the meals tax?” asked City Manager Sam Sanders just before what will likely not be the final public hearing related to the budget this year. 

Council will now consider adoption of its budget on April 15 and not at a special meeting on April 9. That will allow time for the legally mandated advertisement of a fourth tax rate increase proposed this year. 

Raising the personal property tax idea had not been suggested by Council at any of their budget work sessions to date and was only floated publicly before what had been billed as the final opportunity for the public to weigh in on the $251.25 million financial plan Monday night. 

The budget that was taken to public hearing was built on a two cent increase on the real estate tax rate as well as an increase of one percent on the lodging tax and meals tax. (paragraph edited post publication for clarity)

A section of the draft budget related to the personal property tax. 

Before the public hearing was opened, City Councilor Michael Payne raised a question.

“I’m not saying we will or won’t do this, but a conversation topic that has come up has been the personal property tax rate,” Payne said. “What if any deadlines exist for that?”

Krisy Hammill, the city’s budget director, said no change had been advertised for that rate, which is $4.20 per $100 of assessed value. Most other communities around Charlottesville lowered the rate when used vehicles soared in value in the wake of the pandemic. 

If Council wanted to go higher, they would need to let the public know by taking out a classified ad for a public hearing in the print version of Charlottesville Daily Progress which had a 2023 circulation of 10,326. The Progress is no longer published daily, which makes the timing of that advertisement more complicated as there is no longer a Sunday edition. 

Hammill said it would be tight to make that change given the position in the budget cycle. 

“That would require a seven-day average advertisement and a public hearing on that as well and the City Charter requires that we have the budget adopted by April 15,” Hammill said. 

There was no information on the agenda about this being discussed. 

The idea comes from City Councilor Natalie Oschrin.

“I was proposing a flat personal property tax rate increase to replace the meals tax rate increase and potentially some of the real estate revenue and I’ve got some math to show for that,” Oschrin said. 

Oschrin said she had not yet had the chance to share that information with Mayor Juandiego Wade or Vice Mayor Brian Pinkston. She said there is room to grow revenue from that tax and the city should tax different kinds of personal property at different rates. 

Before the public hearing, Wade said he was not interested for this year. 

“I just know this late in the game that I may consider it personally for next year when we have a little bit more time to digest it,” Wade said. 

Wade said he was concerned that raising the personal property tax rate would affect more people than the meals tax. He said if two other Councilors agreed, the idea could move forward. 

“I would at least like to hear what it is,” said Councilor Lloyd Snook. 

Oschrin prepared a statement to read in which she said explained her reason for wanting to raise the personal property tax.

“It’s not too late for me to follow through on my campaign platform goals and ideas that voters supported me for my housing, transit, and urbanism ideas, so there’s a desire to deprioritize cars and reprioritize people and shelter,” Oschrin said. “Those are my priorities.”

After winning a slot as one of three Democratic nominees for City Council in the June primary, Oscrhin took office in January after an uncontested election in November. She originally proposed keeping the real estate tax -rate and meals tax unchanged and making up the difference through the personal property tax and increasing parking fees. 

“Lower personal property taxes are a hidden subsidy for cars and we need to stop doing that,” Ochrin said. 

She said an increase in the rate from $4.20 per $100 to $6 per $100 would be enough to raise revenue for Council’s spending priorities. However, she acknowledged her math is based on a lot of assumptions and the Commissioner of Revenue would need to provide more data. 

Pinkston said he wanted to see more information from staff. 

“It seems like a straight-forward enough idea that I feel kind of dumb that I didn’t think about it two years ago,” Pinkston said. 

Council will have further discussion of the idea at their budget work session on Thursday.  

For some background:

• Every additional penny on the real estate tax rate brings in $1.1 million in revenue 

• Every one percent increase in the meals tax would bring in $3 million 

• Calculating the difference for the personal property tax is more complicated due to ongoing shifts in the car market. Commissioner of Revenue Todd Divers will try to come up with more information by Thursday. 

Councilor Michael Payne said he would like to see scenarios but was concerned that the personal property tax is more regressive than the real estate tax. 

“I’m a little skeptical just because poor people and working people still drive cars and we don’t have the bus system that we want,” Payne said. 

No Councilors identified spending that could be reduced. Council’s budget supports higher pay and benefits due to collective bargaining, a reclassification of the city’s pay structure, and a need to make up funding lost by the school system due to a recalculation of a state funding formula. 

During the discussion, consensus grew that any increase in the personal property tax rate would go to reduce the meals tax by half a percent and that four of the city’s tax rates could increase.

Pinkston asked Oschrin if she could wait on an increase in the personal property tax rate until the budget cycle. 

“Well, next year we’re going to have an even higher budget,” Oschrin said. 

Pinkston said he was concerned about the confusion this would bring to staff. Oschrin said she just wanted to see the information. Sanders said he hoped to get the information to Council as soon as possible or at least by their meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday. 

Payne and Snook said they would entertain the idea. Mayor Wade was the lone vote in opposition.  

“Four taxes is worse than three taxes,” Wade said. “I’m outvoted but it sounds like we have enough support to pursue it.” 

Oschrin said taxes are part of the social contract and they are how governments fund what voters want. 

“If you’re going to get taxed out of something, I’d rather someone get taxed out of their car then their house,” Oschrin said. “Not that I want either of those things to happen.” 

Council’s discussion took place before the public hearing on the three tax rates. One of the speakers was Don Gathers, a one-time Council candidate and frequent speaker in Chambers. He said his household’s personal property tax bills have sky-rocketed in recent years and that low-income residents are going to continue to have a tough time. 

“I don’t understand the mindset or the necessity to feel like we have to tax anyone out of anything,” Gathers said. “Eventually essentially what’s going to happen is that you’re going to tax your residents right out of the city.” 

At least two other speakers called for tax increases to support more spending. Philip Hamilton, who twice ran for the General Assembly as a Republican called for reductions. 

Stay tuned for Thursday’s meeting.

Second shout out: Charlottesville E-bike Lending Library 

In today’s first subscriber supported shout-out, one Patreon supporter wants you to know that Charlottesville has an eBike Lending Library!  E-bikes are a great way to get around the community but there are many brands and styles to choose from. Because many e-bikes are sold online, it can be a challenge to try an e-bike before buying one.

The Charlottesville E-bike Lending Library is a free, not-for-profit service working to expand access to e-bikes in the area. They have a small collection of e-bikes that they lend out to community members for up to a week, for free. You can experience your daily commute, go grocery shopping, or even bike your kids to school, and decide whether e-bikes are right for you. Check out this service at https://www.ebikelibrarycville.org

Long-time radio host acquiring frequencies, gets fired 

A trade publication dedicated to the business of radio has reported that Monticello Media fired long-time host Joe Thomas after learning that the radio personality has acquired an AM radio frequency with two FM-translators. 

Thomas is the new owner of WTON-AM in Staunton, according to TALKERS magazine. The station has two FM translators with one based in Crozet that operates on 101.1 FM. His company Thomas Media LLC is purchasing the stations for $275,000 from STU-COMM Inc, the organization that operates WNRN.

The website of Monticello Media still lists Thomas as the morning host on WCHV at 107.5 FM and 1260 AM. 

The news was noteworthy enough to make Blue Ridge Life which reported no one was on the air to replace Thomas on Monday. 

“We are looking forward to bringing local news and conversation back to the valley the same way we did for WCHV,” Thomas told TALKERS. ‘We also hope to have my show back on the air in Charlottesville soon.”

In a Facebook post made this afternoon, Monticello Media explained that Thomas informed them he was pursuing the acquisition and that the company found that unacceptable.

“Imagine you owned a Burger King and your manager decided to open a McDonald's next door, but still planned on managing your Burger King,” the post reads. “Would you allow him to do both? Monticello Media informed Joe that we wanted him to stay with WCHV, but if he decided to proceed with the purchase of another station in our coverage area that we had no choice but to part ways.”

Thomas worked for Monticello Media for 17 years and the company said they wish him well with his endeavors.

Items from the City Manager’s report: New agreement with CAPSCA in works 

Last night, City Manager Sam Sanders opted to forgo an aural version of his report to City Council. Here are some notable items from the written report:

• Both Albemarle and Charlottesville staff have been negotiating with Libby Jones, the new executive director of the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA, about “funding and future operations of our animal shelter.” Both localities pay the SPCA funding every year to operate the facility. 

• Council may set up an internal finance committee, a common practice of many elected bodies in the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

• The city’s website will relaunch on April 17 with a refreshed look. Hopefully data won’t be deleted this time. 

• Dominion Energy will begin converting some of the city’s streetlights to LED with the first set expected to be upgraded on the Route 250 Bypass from Emmet Street to River Road. 

• The city has recently reprogrammed Community Development Block Grant funds in two cases from public infrastructure to private infrastructure projects for both the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank for refrigeration equipment and the New Hill Development Corporation for their BEACON commercial kitchen. However, $171,655.34 in CDBG funds are being used to build a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Pollocks Branch in Jordan Park. 

• The Office of Community Solutions is crafting a process for the city to acquire land. This is perhaps relevant in a period when Council recently paid $4 million for a property on Avon Street as well as $5.9 million for land on the Rivanna River. The “standard operating procedure” should be ready by June and one question is whether this would apply to any future land bank the city may be considering. 

Charlottesville Sister City visit next week

Charlottesville has three official Sister Cities with two others with a less-than-formal status and later this month there will be an official visit from one of them next week. 

“The delegation from Besançon, our Sister City in France, will be arriving in Charlottesville on Friday, April 12 and will stay through Wednesday, April 17,” said Charlottesville Mayor Lloyd Snook. “It’s the first official municipal exchange between Besançon since 2018.” 

Snook said the Sister City Commission will hold three public events during the trip. 

“One is a concert Sunday afternoon from 4 to 6 p.m., April 14, Les Amitiés Musicales, at Grisham Hall Auditorium at St. Anne’s-Belfield on Ivy Road,” Snook said. 

On Monday a new podcast called “Sister Revolutions” will launch that discusses the legacies of the American and French revolutions in the late 18th century. There will be a gathering at noon at Jefferson Hall on the University of Virginia Grounds. 

The final event is a reception at 6 p.m. at the Create Gallery at InBio at the Silk Mills Building on Harris Street.

The other Sister Cities are Winneba, Ghana, and Poggio a Caiano, Italy. Pleven, Bulgaria is a Sister City Emeritus and Huehuetenango is a “Friendship City” that has not yet reached full status. 

Community event to be held to commemorate parents of the Charlottesville Twelve 

This fall will mark the 65th anniversary of the desegregation of Charlottesville City Schools when a judge ordered that 12 Black students be transferred to Lane High School and Venable Elementary School. The two schools had been closed by city officials rather than integrate in a move known as “Massive Resistance.” 

“The Charlottesville Twelve are the first 12 African-American students to attend Charlottesville’s previously segregated public schools,” said City Councilor Michael Payne. “Integration was highly resisted and it took a judicial order for the students to walk safely through the doors and begin their studies.” 

On Saturday, April 13 there will be a commemoration of the students and the parents who fought for their children to get an equal education. This will be held at 1 p.m. at Carver Recreation Center and there will be musical performances as well as refreshments. 

Reading material:

• UVA, Monticello announce recipients of 2024 Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medals, Emily Hemphill, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), March 31, 2024

• City Council approves resolution calling for ceasefire in Israel and Palestine, Garrett Whitton, CBS19 News, April 1, 2024

• Supervisors considering increase in real property tax rate, CBS19 News, April 1, 2024

#657 is north of Philadelphia

I began writing this edition minutes after boarding a Northeast Regional train in Charlottesville and I am hoping to publish before I get off in Trenton, New Jersey. My very first story in the Daily Progress in August 2009 was about the schedule for the Northeast Regional which had not yet begun daily service. 

Of all I have done in my career, I am proudest of the partnership between the Progress and Charlottesville Tomorrow that got information out to people. Now the nonprofit organization has removed any acknowledgment it was a partnership piece, and neither provides routine coverage of budget development.

Should they?

That is their business and this is mine. I am devoted to what I do and this will continue and continue to build partnerships. You can help me grow my reach with a paid subscription through Substack. This is edition #657 and my circulation here is about 2,850. Thanks for your support in helping me keep this going. 

For nearly three years now, Ting has matched the initial payment of new subscribers, something that allows me to continue on my way reporting what I can, when I can get to it.

I’m so grateful for this sponsorship. Need high speed Internet? If you sign up for service and enter the promo code COMMUNITY you’re going to get:

• Free installation

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• A $75 gift card to the Downtown Mall