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Warren County staff brief supervisors on Shenandoah Farms sanitary district advisory committee
Summary
County staff told the Board of Supervisors the Shenandoah Farms Sanitary District advisory committee will be reconstituted, applications are being accepted, background checks will be required, and the board remains the ultimate authority on adopting the district budget and tax rate following public hearings.
County staff briefed the Warren County Board of Supervisors on plans to reestablish an advisory committee for the Shenandoah Farms Sanitary District and clarified the board’s role in district budgeting and tax-rate decisions.
Staff said the county is soliciting applications for the advisory committee and expects to vet candidates with background checks before making appointments in the coming months. The board was given a copy of the district’s bylaws, which staff said were approved by the board last June and are included in the meeting packet.
“Once you have selected a group, those folks, you’ll have background checks on the applicants,” staff said during the work session. The advisory committee’s primary function, staff added, is to provide local input on the annual budget, tax rate and the road capital improvement program that county officials can bring back to the Board of Supervisors.
Board members pressed staff for a clarification of roles. One supervisor noted that advisory committees draft or propose rates but that the Board of Supervisors makes the final decision after public hearing. County staff reiterated that while advisory boards propose an effective rate, the board is the governing body and “at the end of the day… you make the final decision on that tax rate.”
Staff also explained the relationship between the Shenandoah Farms Property Owners’ group (POSF) and the sanitary district. POSF is a separate entity and membership in POSF was not historically required for property buyers, staff said; the sanitary district’s board is distinct from the POSF board.
The board did not take action at the work session; staff said they will return when appointments are ready to be made and will schedule an organizational meeting to review bylaws, elect officers and set initial terms.
