Charles Vivier of the Tax Payer Watch Dog group in Patrick County spoke at the Monday, June 13, Board of Supervisors Meeting in Stuart, VA. Here is the text of what he said.

PATRICK COUNTY TAXPAYER WATCHDOG GROUP - known by the company you keep - shouldn’t let someone like that in your doors - First Baptist Church has the same problem - You can’t pick and choose those entitled to free speech. - our motto: “Inform – Listen – Represent � “49% TAX INCREASE AS A RESULT OF THE 2008 REASSESSMENT� - Those are not quite the facts and tend to give reassessment a bad name. - Reassessments do result in shifts of the tax burden. - BRD total values changes about 260%. Town total values changed about 60%. - Keeping the $5 million revenue shifted the burden to rural land, not homes. - Some tax tickets would have gone up; some would have gone down. APPRAISALS ARE A PART OF THE REASSESSMENT - Real estate agents give free appraisals to sellers from MLS data. - Certified appraisers (very detailed) charge about $500 to appraise parcels for bank loans. - Our $400,000 reassessment of 20,000 parcels cost about $20 per parcel. - The majority of the owners couldn’t mount the legal challenge needed. - August 2009 was about the time that the Watchdogs came into being. REASSESSMENTS AREN’T NEEDED TO INCREASE REVENUES - Our reassessments come every six years. - The taxpayers are stuck with the inequity for six years. - The tax rate (the levy) and revenues can be changed any year. - You don’t need a reassessment to change the levy. - Six year reassessments are required by law. PUBLIC HEARING JUNE 8, 2009 RESULTED IN A DOUBLE WHAMMY - (1) The reassessment shifted the burden to rural land even though the levy rate was equalized to 32.74 cents (“the lowered tax rate) down from 55 cents. - (2) The levy was then raised 46% = an additional 15.26 cents to 48 cents ("effective tax rate increase�). - Resulting real estate tax revenues were increased about 48.5% from $5.5 million to $8.2 million. (about $2.7 million) - On motion by Lock Boyce seconded by Ron Knight and carried 4 to 1 the Board set the tax levy at 48 cents per $100. Voting Aye: Boyce, Knight, Weiss, and Large. Voting last and Nay: Chairman Harris WHERE ARE THE ADDITIONAL REAL ESTATE REVENUES BEING USED? - Go back to the June 30, 2009 audit to see what each department spent that year. - Look at June 30, 2011 to see what each department spent this year. - Find how the extra $2.7 million dollars is used each year. - Adjust the appropriations to make the best use of tax revenues. Charles Vivier 2011.06.13 2831 Pilot View Rd, Hillsville, VA 24343 Tele. 276.952.2691