Greg Modzelewski
Letters to the Editior
Bedford Bulletin
Why Are You Supporting Future Bedford Residents?
YES, your property tax dollars are going to support future Bedford residents. The county agreed for you to pay $8,000,000 dollars, so that a sewer treatment plant can be built in Moneta. The plant is being built so you can support a developer’s project at 122/608 and development projects near the lake.
A Cost Of Community Service study for Bedford County has been completed. A copy of the study is on the counties web site. The study shows that Bedford residential development consumes $1.07 for every $1.00, they pay. As more people move into Bedford the $1.07 is going to increase and the need for more money to offset that cost will be needed from you. For the 05-06 year Bedford County residents paid $3,000/year/student to educate our youth. Through other taxes state and federal government pays $5,500/year/student. As Bedford schools continue to have less open seats more schools will need to be built/expanded the $3,000/year/student will increase. The $8,500/year/student includes debit service. This year the cost is even higher.
Currently, Bedford has a volunteer fire and rescue. Already squads are having problems attracting new members and some squads are/will be charging for services. With an ever increase residential development, Bedford will need to hire more fire and rescue personnel and equipment. Depending how this is done it could have a major impact on annual county budget. This could result in the budget needing to increase by millions, which translates into higher property taxes.
The state changed the way the Personal Property Relief Tax is paid to the county. This will result in an increase in the taxes you pay on your vehicles. While this does sound odd, but as more vehicles come to Bedford, those increased vehicles will result in your vehicle tax increasing.
While there is no way to ban developers from consuming all the open land in Bedford. There are ways to reduce the number of residential homes they can build and impact. By speaking with your Supervisor and Planning Commissioner too: 1) Reduce the number of new sewer treatment plants being built or expanded as many of the current zoning allows twice as many homes to be built on a piece of land, if water or sewer is available. 2) When water lines are put, insure that new development can not use them. 3) Not allowing property to be rezoned, developers are getting land rezoned, so they can build more homes per acre. 4) Update the Comprehensive Plan, so it proactively outlines ways to keep Bedford rural. 5) Push for proffers, this would require developers to pay the county to offset their negative impact to the county, when they want property rezoned. 6) Take the 12 months allowed by law before reviewing a rezoning request. The county web site: www.co.bedford.va.us, provides you with their names and phone numbers of your Supervisor and Planning Commissioner. If you think that your neighbor is going to do something, your wrong! I have been attending the Planning Commissioner meetings over the last eight months, for the most part I am the only person at the meeting that is not on the county payroll.
If you feel more residential development will reduce your property taxes, why is Bedford’s tax rate $.65 and Lynchburg’s is $1.11 and Roanoke $1.12?
Along with your property taxes increasing, traffic on the roads and lake is going to increase. More traffic lights will need to be installed. New homes that use wells could negatively affect your well. Other costly infrastucture impacts are, more social services, larger sheriff department, larger court system, more waste management needed and larger county government, while county services remain the same. Some other impacts of residential development is air, noise, water and light pollution.
