The following is a comment from Dr. Dick.
At the Board of Supervisors (BOS) Working Session on December 04, 2007, the Chairman solicited a show of hands from the citizens as to how many had read the Deed of the old Luray High and Graded School. Unfortunately none had, so to be informed and understand Mr. LaFrance’s position regarding the acquisition of land to build a new County Administration Complex rather than build at the current location, I got a copy.
The heart of the deed states:
“…a resolution for the County School Board of Page County…, on the 25th day of April, 1935,…that the abandoned school property known as the old Luray High School…should be sold and conveyed to Page County Virginia,…that said County should assume the annual upkeep…as an office building…and…if said property should ever cease to be used [by the county, the]…property should…revert to the County School Board…”
Mr. LaFrance stated in the November 20th, 2007 BOS meeting that to challenge the deed would be costly and tie up progress on the Land Acquisition: something the Chairman did not want to do. (I suppose this is because he thought the school board was going to make a fuss about getting their building back.)
As an aside, at the same meeting, the Town of Stanley offered the County a 15-acre site – Mr. LaFrance smiled and moved on with the vote. (He didn’t apparently think this offer was worth discussing.)
Dr Dick says: Rather than take a belligerent approach and challenge the legal sufficiency of the deed, why not discuss options with the School Board? The School Board does have an interest in the outcome of this debate. They will soon become the proud owners of a building that is not safe for occupancy! Do any of the Citizens of Page County wonder where the money will come from to rehabilitate a rundown century old building? (Or knock it down?) The answer: Your tax dollars!
Both the school board and the Board of Supervisors have a fiduciary responsibility to the Citizens of Page County to ensure that tax dollars are spent responsibly. Both parties to the deed in question have an interest in the outcome of the abandonment of the property by the County.
Would it not be nice to see a banner headline in this newspaper that would read: PAGE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND SCHOOL BOARD AGREE! The article would continue: The BOS and School Board, in public session, unanimously agreed that the current location of the County Administrative Offices would be abandoned so a new County Complex housing both Boards and other County Administrative Offices could be constructed on that site. The article would continue stating that: This fiscally responsible decision was reached by the collaborative efforts of the Boards who solicited opinions and suggestion from the Citizens of Page County prior to reaching a final agreement. And, the article might conclude thusly: The Citizens of Page County applauded the joint effort of the Boards. This seems so much as a flight of fancy, but it could be true.
Also, the Citizens of Page County have paid for an architecturally designed County Administration Building where the present offices are located. Supervisor Strickler pointed out in the November 20th BOS meeting that the drawings had expired and it would be necessary to procure a new set. Supervisor Strickler needs to check! Buildings are designed in accordance with the Virginia Uniform Building Code, the American Disability Act and the International Building Codes, the plans in question require reviewing to ensure compliance with current codes. Therefore, the tax dollars spent for plans is not wasted and it is not necessary for the taxpayer to be burdened with the cost of new plans for the “Emerald City Complex”.
Please keep in mind with the above approach, it is one of collaboration rather than decision by fiat, the Citizens of Page benefit. The $4.6 million would be spent on an existing property, and County Administrative Offices are contained in one building not multiple buildings. Maybe the County could sell some real estate holdings and use the proceeds to buy down some of the County debt, perhaps even a tax cut, of all things: Is Page County in the real estate management business?
Oh but one dreams. However, great things have been built on dreams. If we, the Citizens of Page, let our voices be heard, a responsible Board of Supervisors will respond. A new Board will be constituted in January. If a citizen has concerns about what the Board is about, you are encouraged to let your District Supervisor know where you stand on an issue. It is time to speak. Exercise your right as a Citizen of Page County.
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And Alice says:
Here are your District Supervisors phone numbers:
District 1, Charlie Hoke, 743-9434, call after 4 p.m.
District 2, John Rust, 743-5316. Beginning in January, Larry Sours, 743-5779
District 3, call Tommy LaFrance, his cell phone is 860-1122, his home phone is 743-3715
Begining in January, District 3 call J D Cave, 778-2331
District 4, Gerald Cubbage, 778-3227
District 5, Carol Lee Strickler, 652-3211
Everybody should call Tommy, because he’s the CHAIRMAN AT LARGE.
Folks, these people are taking you down a path where financial commitments will be made that YOU don’t have the money to pay for. You will finally vote the other three out, two years from now, but by that time, they will have committed YOU to debt that forces your aging parents to sell their house and move out of the county.
Do not wait to get involved. Get them on the phone, show up at the meetings, get ahold of these documents. Find out what this game plan is, before YOU become “it” in the game.
December 20, 2007 at 6:02 pm
Dan, it is interesting how one insult can nullify everything you say, or have said. If you really believe that land in the flood plain can be worth $60,000.00 an acre, it further demonstrates the value of your thoughts. I need say nothing more, your statements speak for themselves.
Rick
December 20, 2007 at 2:44 pm
Don, I think more than a few of us do not believe that it has been determined that the tax assessment on that property was extremely low compared to market prices. I think quite a few of us think the market is no longer there, if it ever was, and the Board is getting taken for paying that price.
Additionally, those of us who believe that is not a market price, may also concede that if it IS a market price, then let some commercial property buy it. Any land that valuable should be saved for commercial uses, not government uses.
That land was sold only four years ago for $40,000 and assessed at $48,000 partly because of the difficulty of building on it in the flood plain.
The piece Mark Belton wrote, called the “county line”, which is like the “party line” is a propaganda piece, not an objective analysis. It can be found on the county website, which is at http://www.pagecounty.virginia.gov
Look under Our Government and then find FAQs. Mark’s a smart guy, but he’s writing a corporate newsletter, not an objective investment analysis.
December 20, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Rick
you sound like a prickI believe that it has been determined that the tax assessment on the property was extremely low compared with market prices. I certainly don’t feel that the purchase was an inappropriate expenditure.I assure you that there were many solutions to replacing the buildings considered, I recommend you read a piece on Page County’s website discussing the issue. Alice previously linked to it.
I am reasonably comfortable with the BOS making decisions for myself and the other taxpayers.
December 19, 2007 at 8:50 pm
Hi Dan. Your comments were helpful to me. I gather from your remarks, and Alice’s, that the BOS is a well intentioned group that have honorable motives. Now I am interested in learning if you believe that their actions are fiscally responsible. Do you believe the purchase of the ten acres, in a flood plain, for ten times the value of the land, is an appropriated expenditure for the repair and replacement of deteriorating infrastructure? Do you believe that it is the only solution and no others should be considered? Are you comfortable with the BOS making the decission with no further input? Thanks again for taking the time to educate me.
Rick
December 19, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Eveyone is entitled to an opinion.
I believe the supervisors are making decesion that they feel are in the best interest of the county in the long run. They are spending money to replace existing crumbling buildings, (two county office buildings that are 100+ years old), one school board building with associated trailers (that were formerly a segregated high school, 50 + years old), while sharing some of the cost with the rescue squad to replace an overcrowded facility.
They are doing this at a new location to provide current property for jail expansion and parking at the county courthouse.
This is happening at the same time as school construction that has been talked about for at least 35 years. The citizens voted for 2 schools and not one consolodated high school.
These new projects will help the county.
I don’t think that the current supervisiors are “protecting” us from development, they are replacing crumbling infrastructure.
December 19, 2007 at 9:48 am
Rick, I don’t think it’s personal financial gain. I looked into the finances and tried to figure out if the board members in any way were getting any “kickbacks” or being “on the take”, and I didn’t see any indications that was the case. I think they honestly believe they are doing a good thing, though their motives are paternalistic. They (rather, three of them: LaFrance, Rust, and Strickler) actually think this development is coming and they are “protecting” us from it. So the dilemma is, you’re dealing with people who just have a different point of view. You can’t fault people for being true to their own value system. All you can do is try to wake them up.
December 19, 2007 at 9:37 am
Maybe it’s because they can and it’s not their money! Maybe they asked Santa and he didn’t think it was a good idea either. Maybe the county taxpayers in double secret closed session told them they can handle a 25 to 50% increase in their taxes. Maybe the less fiscally responsible board members are heading the way of the “Oh, no!” bird that flies in ever decreasing concentric circles until it flies up its own patootie. The last thing you hear just before impact is the resounding exclamation “Oh, no!”
December 18, 2007 at 10:21 pm
I want to go on record as saying I have absolutely no idea why they act like this. From observation, it appears that they have a picture in their minds (or at least Tommy, John, and Carol Lee do) that there is a great pressure coming, that will cause enormous development, and they are “preparing” for it. They don’t seem to be getting the staffwork that explains to them what the consequences are of doing this preparation if the development doesn’t happen.
December 18, 2007 at 9:08 pm
Thank you Dr. Dick for the update and the presentation of the events. I would like to know the motive that drives some of the BOS members decisions. They are clearly not driven by fiscal reality. So what then could be their motive? Are some of the members just building monuments to themselves? Or is their financial gain involved. The first is sad, the second may be criminal. Why the push to buy this one piece of land at many times its value? What is the motive? I hate to say it but I may be able to see motives for controlling renting of cabins and flood plain restrictions, but I can’t see a motive for purchasing land for the new building. Can anyone shed some light on this issue?
Rick
December 17, 2007 at 6:31 pm
Sorry, Tommy, but I don’t buy the explanation that the school board would fight you for the building they gave away in 1935. That 15 acres in Stanley deserved more than a smirk, when you consider that you were paying more than 10 times a professional appraisers view of market value for that land.