Accomack County Board of Supervisors conduct public hearing on FY2021-22 budget

The Accomack County Board of Supervisors conducted a public hearing Monday on the FY 2021-22 budget.  The $64,000,000 budget represents an increase of two tenths of one percent over the previous year. General property taxes comprise 57% of revenue, with other local taxes comprising 14%, Federal and State aid 18% and other items providing the remaining 11%.

41% of the budget goes to education, 6.9% goes to debt service,  8.9% to Public Works,  Public Safety EMS and Fire 14.6%, Law Enforcement is 5.6%  Public Safety 3.5%, Health and Welfare consumes 3.6%. and Planning and Community Development is 3.3%.

This year’s priorities were to keep property tax rates at their current rates due to COVID; restore employee compensation increases and due to more money from the state, a proposal to increase the salary levels of county employees of 5% will be introduced at the budget meeting next week; attempt to maintain the County’s investment in it’s infrastructure, properties and equipment; maintain or improve employee and customer safety; and honor contractual commitments, agreements and mandates.

The budget, which has to be balanced as required by state law, contains no tax or fee increases this year.

Accomack County’s real estate tax rates rank 13th (highest to lowest) in it’s 19 member peer group and there have been no real estate tax increases since 2016. The current rate is 61 cents per $100 of assessed value.   Northampton’s rate is 83 cents per hundred and Worcester County’s rate is 84.5 cents per $100 of assessed value.

The county’s personal property tax rate is 8th (highest to lowest) out of its 19 member peer group of other rural counties in the state.

The last real estate tax increase occurred in 2016.

The Board can take action 7 days after the public hearing and a budget meeting is scheduled for Monday March, 29 at 5 p.m. at Metompkin Elementary School where it is expected to be approved.

.