Gloucester, VA Board of Supervisor's Meeting Video, March 2014

Gloucester, VA FY15 County Administrator's Proposed Budget from Chuck Thompson

Notes from Mr Howard Mowery as presented in the above video, during the Gloucester Board of Supervisor's meeting.

1.   Everybody is waiting with baited breath tonight for the new fiscal budget presentation. As in, the past government has lost itself in the process of new initiatives (that reduce costs) and accomplishes those innovations that pare down the size of government.

As the current Board said in January NO Tax Increases, the first part of NONE is NO. Line 2 of the budget presentation say “quote, if items and / or initiatives are added to my proposed budget to such an extent that it would require a tax rate higher than advertised, we will have a problem. Legally, we will need to re-advertise the higher rate and conduct another public hearing, which just will not be possible given our tight time line. Unquote”

Suggesting a 3-cent Real Property and 30-cent personal Property tax increase is out of the question. It is management’s responsibility to shave, re-align, eliminate, or cut all redundant or duplicated efforts to reduce government costs.

Even if necessary by reducing the hourly workweek, but not affecting Public Safety or necessary services required by law. There is not government process administratively that cannot be delayed for a few hours or days that will upset the average conservative taxpayer. There are exceptions that are on specific time and contract schedules that can be resolved especially by incorporating more effective software programs were input can be evaluated electronically and be people reviewed.

I look forward to hear this presentation to see where new cost effective initiatives are being imported.  The need for a tax increase and a public hearing for that purpose is not necessary due to our strained economic conditions and a future at the national level that may have severe impacts on the local populations as the government attempts to reduce our readiness to maintain the republic, which in turn influences the local economies of the region.

I thank you for the time.

Related articles

• Gloucester, VA Board of Supervisors Meeting February, 2014 Video
• Gloucester, VA Board of Supervisor's February 18th, 2014 Meeting Agenda Information
• Gloucester, VA Container Use Ordinances and Codes Updated
• Notes on Gloucester County Board of Supervisors second February meeting
• Gloucester County Board of Supervisors new start
• Mapping Gloucester, Virginia's Future? The Heart of Gloucester County

Gloucester, VA - Question To Officials, Where Is The Money? Over 14 Million Vanished?

Based on the recent Gloucester Board of Supervisor's meeting this past Tuesday evening, August 6th, 2013, the Board gave to the public the following information that raises a great deal of very serious questions that every single taxpayer in this county should demand be answered right away.  Why?  Because based on what the Gloucester County, Virginia Board of Supervisor's told us, there is a great deal of money not accounted for.  To the tune of multi millions.  Let's go over their own information that they told all of us and made very public.

Based on county population and real estate taxes;

$400,000.00
income per penny of tax rate  (How much one penny of tax dollars are worth)

65 cents
tax rate for real estate,  (Present amount we are taxed)
$26,000,000.00  (What is expected to be collected in one year).

2
number of times taxes collected per year (Taxes are owed every 6 months).
$13,000,000.00
0.8
assume 80 percent collection, (Allowing for a 20% not collected in owed payments).
$10,400,000.00  (What has probably been collected in the month of June).

$12,000,000.00
Page insurance money, (Should be held in account)

$22,400,000.00   (What the local treasury should be showing on hand)

money that should be in account
? Personal property tax June
? other income water etc

$7,500,000.00
money in Gloucester CD Account,  (General Fund of Gloucester, County).

? misc money in bank account

$14,900,000.00  (What should be showing on top of the 7.5 million dollars).

Where is this money?

All of the above is the very simple math that Gloucester County officials gave everyone during the recent public hearing of the Board of Supervisor's meeting.  Nearly 15 million dollars can not be accounted for?  Voodoo accounting?  Who's pockets is the money lining?  Fair question based on their statements.  Watch the video we have posted on here, that is where all of this information comes from.  We don't make this up.

Is the 17 million dollars in new bond money to cover the missing money?  Again, that is a very fair question.  And if the 17 million in new bonds is to cover the missing $14,900,000.00, why 17 million in new bond money instead of 15 million?  Is another 2 million slated to disappear?

Other very serious questions we have to ask based on that meeting, the school maintenance supervisor stated that schools are in disrepair to the tune of 30 plus years?  The county board of supervisors has been denying money to the school board for how long for basic repairs?

Where is the money going?  Where is all the money?  Millions seem to be disappearing into thin air while taxes continue to go up.  Anyone see any issues here?   Nearly 15 million dollars missing, everyone is allowing these people to borrow another 17 million?

Gloucester, VA Property Tax Abuses?

Are there abuses going on in the Gloucester County Tax offices?  We are starting to ask that question right now.  In our last story about Jeff Stillman and his questionable involvement in an animal cremation business, we started looking at property maps and taxes.  The cremation business is not listed with an address.  We had our Arizona staff look up and cross reference records.  They were surprised that a personal property with a new business such as this has had it's property taxes lowered.  With a large percentage of county residents mostly seeing tax increases on their properties over the last few years, how could this location have it's property taxes lowered?

  I asked them to dig deeper.  Once again, the property that Jeff and Crystal Wilkinson Stillman are on is owned by one John Wilkinson.  Crystal's father.  The Arizona team looked at the properties around 6464 Ark road to look at the tax structures there as well.  Properties owned there by John Wilkinson went down in the most recent tax assessments while neighbors had their taxes raised for the most part.  Not in every situation, but in the majority.


  So we asked them to dig some more.  Since Holli M Cohoon has recently been in our spotlight, we asked them to see what they could turn up there.  More very disturbing news.  Holli's husband is one Christopher Ellis Cohoon.  They live on Bellamy Lane in Gloucester.  Here is what our Arizona staff gave us.  The Cohoon's tax liability has gone down $47,000.00 on the last tax assessment.  Let's look at some other issues on this.  What we also have learned is that the Cohoon family did some extensive renovations and additions to their home before the tax reassessments.  The old assessment was 409,600.00 dollars and the new assessment after renovations is now 362,400.00 dollars.  Over a 47,000.00 dollars drop.  



View Larger Map  Location of the Cohoon residence.  


All of this is a matter of public records.  So we are not reporting anything at all a secret at any level.  This is a neighborhood where property values should be up, not down.  Now of course this has given us a whole new area of further investigations.  Our next person to look at was Steve Baraneck.  10377 West View Hills Road.  His property taxes went up.  From 269,000.00 to 302,800.00 dollars.  That's over 33,000.00 dollars in an increase.  We are wondering who he ticked off.  His neighbors did not see this type of a dramatic increase in tax value assessments.  Not even close.


  Now here is yet another question.  How can someone who works for Animal Control, a notoriously low paying job, afford a house valued in this price range?  Sugar momma or income from undisclosed sources?  Either way, our team in Arizona now have a list of more properties to start investigating and a lot of questions to start asking.  

For all the latest news, please click on the Home button towards the top of this site.

Have a news story? Submit it above.

Some of Gloucester's most incredible history is found on this site in detail.

Gloucester, VA Links and News – A GVLN Website.

We cover what no one else will.