Speakers opposed to a tax increase outnumbered those in favor of one during Thursday’s public hearing on the Mathews budget, held in the multipurpose room at Thomas Hunter Middle School.

With an audience of around 100 residents, 35 speakers took to the microphone, with 16 voicing opposition to an increase in taxes and 12 supporting the proposed budget and its 2¢ per $100 real estate tax increase. Three additional speakers appeared to oppose the proposed tax increase and one appeared to support it, but they didn’t specifically state their positions; and one speaker, school administrator Dr. David Holleran, spoke neither for nor against the budget.

Two speakers addressed a specific budget issue—the proposed elimination of payment for tipping fees for Ambrose Disposal.

Speakers against tax increase

David Morgan of Mathews, said that raising taxes isn’t the answer to the budget problem. Last year the county increased personal property tax rates so much that they were higher than other area counties, he said, and it didn’t work.

"We have to tighten our belts," he said. "I ask the county to help us survive."

Richard Hicks of North, who was the 10th person to speak in opposition to a tax increase, said he agreed with "fellow patriots" who had already spoken, and he said they would speak out against tax increases "next year and the year after and the year after.

"We have a monstrous financial problem internationally," Hicks said. "We can’t keep increasing spending at home. We have to keep our expenses under our income."

Several of those who opposed a tax increase also spoke against the step increase proposed for teachers this year.

David Davis of Onemo, said that in September he had to reduce the budget for his preschool and child care business by 30 percent, but he didn’t lay off any employees. Instead, he froze salaries, cut out paid vacation and holidays, and he and his assistant each took 30 percent pay cuts.

"All my teachers still have a job, and I’m proud of it," he said, "and I didn’t have to raise my rates."

L.C. Mathews of Mathews, said that, with Social Security frozen for two years and the private sector having to do "what’s called creative work," residents have to "live within our budget and means," and the county should do the same thing.

"When I went to school, we had 25 to 30 children and didn’t have teacher’s aides," he said. "Parents need to educate and correct their children at home."

Robert Sherrill of Grimstead, who identified himself as a former teacher and principal, said that there were times during his career when he had to demand a raise and other times when "the money was just not there."

"A raise for teachers now is unconscionable," he said. "We want to live within our means. You are the ones who implement that—I hope you do."

But Frank Adams of Hudgins, said he thought the schools had taken a big enough hit and that the county side of the budget should be cut instead.

"You can’t blame the schools for the budget," he said.

Speakers for tax increase

Ted Broderson of North, said he thought the tax increase was totally justified. He pointed out that Mathews County has very low real estate taxes, and that a local government’s primary responsibility is to make sure there’s an educated workforce.

Eunice Hyer of Cobbs Creek, said she has lived in Mathews for over 40 years and that the tax rate hasn’t gone up "anywhere near the cost of inflation."

"Expenses have increased five-fold, while taxes have barely doubled," she said. "Since Elizabeth I, we have faced inflation, and we have to raise taxes. We do an excellent job, but we can’t do it on nothing."

Linda Hodges, guidance counselor at Mathews High School, said that the supervisors are in a no-win situation because they’ve been asked to "underwrite the shortfall of the state." She said that Mathews has successfully educated students at a cost "significantly lower than counties of similar size" and that residents get "a pretty good bang for the buck."

Lee-Jackson Elementary School teacher Stacie Wiatt of Mathews said that the possible loss of teacher assistants is more important than the step increase proposed for teachers. She said that without assistants, "children who don’t need help will do great, but the others will suffer."

Addressing an issue that has sparked controversy recently, Mathews Education Association president Amy Bohannon Stewart of Mathews, said that schools need teacher assistants and assistant principals because of testing mandates that schools are required to follow.

"We have to do it," she said. "We can’t decide we just won’t do it this year."

Stewart also expressed disappointment that "some are lashing out against the schools in such hard times" and said that she would hold supervisors responsible if children were injured because of a reduction in staff.

Waste tipping fees

Lawrence Ambrose of Ambrose Disposal said that Virginia Peninsulas Public Service Authority charged the county $675,541 last year to handle waste at its transfer station on Route 14, while he hauled 27 percent of the county’s waste for just under $56,000.

"This means that Ambrose is hauling 27 percent of all Mathews County trash for only 8.3 percent of the waste budget," he said.

Ambrose said he only pays the tipping fee for the waste he hauls in James City County because everyone there pays to take their trash to the transfer station—even homeowners. In Mathews, however, homeowners can take their trash to the transfer station free of charge. Ambrose said it wouldn’t be fair for his customers to have to pay to take their trash to the transfer station if other county residents don’t have to pay.

In addition, said Ambrose, his cost to do business in James City County is less because it is more densely populated than Mathews. He said it takes him a week and a half to pick up trash from as many customers in Mathews as he can handle in one day in James City County.

If the county cuts out the $55,000-$56,000 annual payment it makes to cover his business’s tipping fees at VPPSA, he said, he’ll have to increase the cost to his customers.

In a letter to customers, Ambrose pointed out that VPPSA pays no taxes to Mathews County, while his business pays taxes here and supports local agencies and non-profits. In addition, he said that he and most of his employees live in Mathews and pay taxes here.

Mathews resident Richard Love spoke in support of Ambrose Disposal.

Supervisor comments

Supervisor O.J. Cole told the audience that the board had set a proposed tax rate increase of 2¢ per $100 so it would have a budget to take to public hearing. But he said the board wasn’t bound by that amount, and that it could adopt anything from no increase to ½¢, 1½¢, 2¢ or any increment in between.

"We proposed a range from which we could select an increase," he said.

Supervisor Janine Burns outlined the various steps the board has taken to cut the county’s side of the budget and pointed out that the undesignated reserve fund, at 6.4 percent, is too low according to accounting principles.

"We cannot take a penny out (of the reserve fund), and that still doesn’t balance the budget," she said. "What we have proposed is the minimum we’ve been able to come up with to balance the budget … This doesn’t allow extra; some people will lose their jobs … and the schools would still be looking at a half million dollar deficit."

Board members were accused by one speaker of going against campaign promises not to increase taxes, but supervisor Charles Ingram pointed out that he didn’t campaign on not raising taxes.

Finally, Burns addressed the issue of paying tipping fees for Ambrose Disposal by saying that it might not be a wise decision and supervisors "will have to wrestle with that." However, she said, if the fees aren’t eliminated, the county will have to come up with an additional $55,000 to fund the budget.

"We won’t save that money," she said.