Board sets tax rate, new immigration policy
By Tara Donaldson
After five-and-a-half hours of public testimony and a lengthy consultation with their attorney, supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday on a budget, a tax rate and a new illegal immigration policy.After two failed attempts earlier in the evening to reach a consensus, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors took a 15 minute break that lasted almost an hour and 45 minutes. When they returned, they immediately adopted a 97-cent real estate tax rate based on the deal they hammered out last week. That was followed by a unanimous vote to alter their illegal immigration policy slightly; now, every person arrested will be checked for legal status. Before, suspects were only checked if the officer had probable cause to believe that the suspect is here illegally.
On a roll now, the supervisors then went on to unanimously vote to keep the car decal fees as they are, leaving a $4 million hole in the transportation budget. Plans to improve county roads had been contingent on a $14 decal fee increase from $24 to $38 for cars. That problem will be worked out in two weeks after the staff has had time to look at the numbers.
In the meantime, the county has a general budget, a tax rate and an immigration policy.
It was a long time in coming.
Tuesday's proceedings began at 2 p.m. with a long line of citizens waiting to give input on the proposals. Public comment lasted until 7:45 p.m. and while most spoke out either for or against the county's crackdown on illegal immigration, many also turned out to support the Manassas senior day care and youth residential housing programs, both of which the board later turned over to private groups.
The supervisors then took up the tax rate and promptly failed in their first two attempts to reach a deal. Chairman Corey Stewart (R) first suggested that the board adopt a rate of 98.7 cents. That's higher than the 97 cents the board discussed last week and Stewart pointed out it's the only time he's ever supported a tax increase.
He said he would only accept the higher rate if the board agreed to use the additional funds for cameras in police cars ($3.1 million) and six additional police officers and one civilian ($900,000) to enforce the illegal immigration crackdown. The 97-cent tax rate the board had tentatively decided on last week did not include money for cameras or the additional officers, though the county attorney and police chief have warned that without cameras, officers will have little defense against the inevitable racial profiling lawsuits.
“We need to do it right,” Stewart said of the immigration crackdown and cameras. “We cannot leave our officers exposed.”
Neabsco Supervisor John Jenkins (D) was incredulous.
“Are you saying you're advocating a raise in taxes?” he asked, later muttering that Stewart had “gone from a no-tax guy to a spendthrift.”
The board, however, wasn't going for it.
Supervisors Maureen Caddigan (R), Wally Covington (R) and John Stirrup (R) joined Stewart in supporting the 98.7-cent rate. Mike May (R), Marty Nohe (R) and Frank Principi (D) voted with Jenkins to oppose it and the motion failed on a 4-4 tie vote.
Principi then suggested the 97-cent rate with the provision that police would no longer check into immigration status. Under Principi's resolution, which was responsible for most of the day's public input, immigration checks would be handled at the jail after a suspect is detained for criminal activity, rather than on the street by an officer making a stop.
That vote also failed with only Principi supporting it.
The supervisors then went on to unanimously veto an increase in car decal fees, meant to fund $4 million in road construction.
“We could just cut Covington's road projects. That's the easiest way to do it,” said Jenkins of the transportation shortfall that resulted from the Brentsville supervisor's motion to veto the fee increase.
Having decided on none of their controversial issues, supervisors decided to break from 8:30 until 8:45 p.m.
At 10 minutes after 10, they returned with a decision.
“Every single person who is arrested will have their immigration status checked,” Stewart announced, explaining that the county attorney has OK'd that plan as an alternative to cameras in police cars. The supervisors unanimously agreed on that idea without comment and they also adopted the 97-cent tax rate discussed last week.
Jenkins and Caddigan both said they'd been hoping for a higher tax rate but that they would accept 97 cents per $100 of assessed value.
Covington also voted in favor of it, though he said he believes that “we eventually need those cameras.”
Then they returned to the problem of the car decal fees. The proposal they shot down before their break was to increase fees from $24 to $38 for cars and from $12 to $19 for motorcycles. When they took up the issue again, they considered a compromise: $34 for cars and $16 for motorcycles. That failed on a 4-4 tie with Caddigan, Jenkins, Nohe and Principi voting in favor of it and Covington, May, Stewart and Stirrup voting against it.
Instead, they voted to keep the decal rates unchanged. Only Principi voted against that plan.
County Executive Craig Gerhart said his staff will need two weeks to rewrite the transportation budget, which the board had been set to vote on Tuesday night.