Editor, The Smithfield Times:

Our Surry County administration and Board of Supervisors have not only failed to listen to the desires of its citizens, but in the process, have, in my opinion, violated state law in the pursuit of increasing the tax burden we face with the rapidly increasing cost of living in our county.

The 2020 Census reported that in our county the per capita income was only $30,260 per year, and the median household income was $57,962. As of July 13, the average U.S. family has lost approximately $6,000 in purchasing power because of our current inflation rate of 9.1%, the highest in more than 40 years.

Code of Virginia Chapter 58.1-3321 issues:

• The notice of public hearing required by state code was posted in the Daily Press newspaper on April 12 by the county administrator, but does not, in my opinion, meet the requirements of paragraph B of the Chapter 58.1-3321 which states, “Notice of the public hearing shall be given at least 30 days before the date of such hearing by the publication of a notice in at least one newspaper of general circulation in such county or city …” The Daily Press does not meet this requirement because, in my opinion, it is not in general circulation in all of Surry County.
• The public hearing on the new proposed real property tax rate was conducted in the same Board of Supervisors meeting just prior to the public hearing on the county’s proposed budget discussions at the May 12 meeting. Holding both public hearings in the same board meeting is a violation of paragraph B of Chapter 58.1-3321, which states, “The governing body of a county, city, or town may, after conducting a public hearing, which shall not be held at the same time as the annual budget hearing … .”

This is just another example of what our county administration thinks of our citizens and how they treat us, keeping us uninformed and minimizing our participation in county government

activities.

The county administrator works for the citizens of the county via the board, and thus the board is responsible. Is any member on the board managing the county administrator?

 

Robert Chandler

Surry County Concerned Citizens Action Committee

Smithfield