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Citizens urge supervisors not to lower advertised tax rate; CIP questions raised about library and skate park projects
Summary
At the county's tax-rate and CIP public hearings, residents thanked supervisors for not raising the tax rate above the advertised level, urged against future reductions and questioned the Capital Improvement Plan's removal of a proposed library site and inclusion of a skate park with no short-term funding.
Speakers at the Spotsylvania County public hearings addressed the advertised tax rate and the proposed five-year Capital Improvement Plan, applauding supervisors for not increasing the rate above the advertised level while urging they avoid lowering it in future actions and requesting clarity on CIP project timelines.
Stephanie Daub, a Lee Hill District resident, thanked the board "for not raising the tax rate above the advertised rate" and said many constituents face economic uncertainty. (Stephanie Daub, resident.)
Other residents urged the board not to reduce the advertised rate when the board later sets the final rate. Nicole Cole, a Battlefield District resident and business owner, said supervisors should plan to raise the revenue needed to fund services rather than rely on minimal advertised increases: "It is your responsibility to make sure that you are raising the funds needed as a board of supervisors to be able to fund the services for the community." (Nicole Cole, resident/business owner.)
Mary Jane Pickering asked supervisors to avoid lowering the rate and noted the advertised figure shown to the public, which she cited as 0.7343 (per $100 of assessed value). She urged the board to consider whether the advertised rate will be sufficient to meet increased needs this year. (Mary Jane Pickering, resident.)
Comments on the county's proposed FY2026-2030 Capital Improvement Plan focused on project changes: Stephanie Daub noted that a previously discussed new library site near Massaponax Church was removed from the current CIP and that a skate park remains listed but shows no funding allocated in the next five years. "If y'all aren't gonna do anything with this skate park in the next 5 years, maybe you should remove it like you removed the library," she said. (Stephanie Daub, resident.)
Why it matters: The tax rate determines local revenues available for schools, public-safety staffing, social services and capital projects. CIP decisions set multi-year priorities for facilities and park improvements; removing or deferring projects affects service access and neighborhood amenities.
The hearing record closes public comment; the board will take up tax-rate decisions and CIP adoption in subsequent meetings.
