Precinct Changes Are Eyed
Two Polling Places May Become One in Knox District

  A proposal to consolidate the Paw Paw and Hurley voting precincts into a new Knox precinct was put on the table Monday during a meeting of the Buchanan County Board of Supervisors and will be considered during a public hearing July 6.
  The public hearing will get underway on that date at 11 a.m.
  Previously, the board sought public input on how best to bring the two voting precinct polling places in the Knox District into compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
  Input at that hearing did not favor a consolidation of the two precinct polling places.
  A resolution adopted Monday, however, stated it is the board’s opinion that "it is in the best interests of the citizens of such precincts (Hurley and Paw Paw) that the precincts be consolidated and a new polling place be established for the precincts in time for the next general election."
  The next general election is November 7.
  It goes on to note the board has investigated the availability and suitability of a polling place to serve the Hurley and Paw Paw voting precincts and further notes a public hearing was held concerning the issue. It adds the board is "now of the opinion that the most appropriate location for such polling place is on the county’s property which adjoins the Hurley Clinic at Hurley, Virginia, which is within the new precinct, on which a new building shall be constructed for voter polling purposes in compliance with the law."
  The proposed ordinance making the change notes the consolidation of precincts is being done "in order to assure that the voters in such area will have a polling place which is accessible to disabled persons in compliance with . . . the Code of Virginia, as amended, and have adequate parking."
  The ordinance does not change the area from which any official is elected and the consolidated precinct will not have more than 5,000 voters in accordance with the code of Virginia.
  County Administrator W.J. Caudill noted that in the event the new precinct is not ready for use by the November election, then voters in the Knox District will vote at their old precinct locations one more time.

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Reassessment Work Continuing

   Work on the Buchanan County reassessment is winding down, Assessor Jay Rife told members of the board of supervisors, Monday; however, he said, it is likely a two-month extension will be needed to complete the appeals process.
  Rife noted that Buchanan County has a total of some 21,000 surface parcels of land, with about 15,000 of those having dwellings or other improvements located on them.
  As of June 5, he said, some 16,500 parcels had been assessed; 1,500 have been visited, but need additional review due to missing information or conflicting information; and 3,000 are still yet to be visited.
  The county is required to conduct a reassessment of its surface and mineral properties every six years.
  To arrive at land and mineral valuations, fair market values of property sales are used to arrive at a percentage increase or decrease to be applied to property.
  "It’s not just something we pull out of the air," Rife said.
  He noted that values are district-sensitive and based on what other properties in that district are actually being sold for on the fair market.
  He said based on preliminary observations, he expected increases in all seven districts on values, with North and South Grundy seeing the largest increases, mainly because of the property sales there related to those areas and their proximity to the law and pharmacy schools. The Town of Grundy is also likely to see an increase in its property valuation.
  "We have to be careful here, because even with the close proximity, it’s a supply and demand type situation on housing," Rife said.
  He noted as the two schools driving the market become more established with less increases or turnover in faculty, sales are likely to stabilize.
  "We have to look at it over a six-year period and try to temper in that thinking to come up with the final value," Rife said.
  Rife noted there is a difference in valuation and the tax rates charged.
  He said while property and mining values are established in the reassessment, the tax rates on those values are set by the board of supervisors on an annual basis and not by him as any part of the reassessment.
  Additionally, he said, just because property values go up, it doesn’t mean overall taxes will.

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