Orange Council hears budget talk

The Orange Town Council heard plenty of support for the Orange Downtown Alliance and a handful of other comments at its 2009-10 budget public hearing Monday night.
The council’s liveliest discussion of the evening, though, came after the hearings and centered on whether or not the town should contribute to Gordonsville’s efforts to reopen the Dix Memorial Pool.
But first things first.
Highlighting the proposed budget, town manager Cole Hendrix reported no rate or tax increases in the $6.9 million budget. No one spoke during the council’s first public hearing of the evening-on the town’s $.114 real estate tax rate.
Citizens had a few comments during the second hearing, which focused on the proposed budget.
ODA President Chuck Mason thanked the council for the $72,500 it budgeted for ODA.
“We’ve gotten an executive director (Jeff Curtis) who is giving you the information you’ve lacked in the past and brought new energy and vision,“ Mason said. “We’re trying to bring value to the Town of Orange. We know we dug ourselves a hole. We understand that. But the work we’ve done, the enthusiasm we have, hopefully that’s a precursor to other events we can do.
“We’re trying to do the things that are necessary and we’re trying to do the things, frankly, we should have been doing,“ Mason continued. “We’ve got the right job, the right guy and the right enthusiasm. I hope by the end of next year, you’ll say this was a great investment.“
Holladay House Bed and Breakfast owner Sam Elswick requested the council consider dropping the town’s transient occupancy (lodging) tax to the same level as the county’s.
Currently, the town’s lodging tax is 5 percent and the county’s 3 percent.
“It makes us instantly less competitive with lodging immediately outside the town limits,“ he said. Tourists can visit local cultural and historic sites, as well as area wineries from any number of lodging establishments, he noted. They don’t have to be in town to visit those places. And the higher tax rate likely means the budget-conscious traveler will opt to stay where he or she can save a few dollars.
“They can get the same kind of experience, the same kind of amenities, the same kind of service, but automatically pay more to stay in the Town of Orange,“ he said. “In tough economic times, it makes it tough for us to compete.“
Former mayor Ray Lonick lauded outgoing town manager Cole Hendrix for the job he’s done for Orange and discouraged the council from undue cuts to the town’s police.
Don Waugh also discouraged the council from cutting the police department budget, or worse yet, trying to turn it over to the county sheriff’s office.
“They all do one hell of a job,“ the Harley-Davidson dealer told council. “We need a good police department in town. If you think you’ll save money and expense by turning it over to the sheriff’s office, you believe in the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. It ain’t gonna happen.“
Gordonsville Mayor Bob Coiner acknowledged the support of the Orange business community in contributing to the town’s efforts to reopen the pool after county officials decided not to fund it in their budget. Coiner noted that with the Town of Orange Transit (TOOT) bus, the Gordonsville pool is readily accessible to Orange residents as well.
Following the hearing, councilman Ryan Gibson acknowledged ODA has been a hot topic in town and said, “ODA is on a different footing than it was a year ago. Clearly it’s a positive going forward.“
Councilman Kent Higginbotham questioned the need for a new $125,000 street sweeper in the budget and suggested the council could buy some time by repairing the existing sweeper instead.
He also wondered what kind of impact a drop in the lodging tax would have on local hospitality businesses and the town budget.
Reducing the current rate two percentage points would cost approximately $48,000.
Elswick, and later Higginbotham, suggested some of that shortfall could be offset with increased occupancy with the opening of the new Best Western and proposed expansion of the Holiday Inn Express.
Hendrix suggested the council be cautious with consideration of reducing the lodging tax, noting that local restaurant owners and operators would likely petition council for a drop in the town’s meals tax as well.
The council took no official action on the budget Monday, but is expected to adopt its 2009-10 budget at its regular meeting May 18.
However, the council did agree to contribute $5,000 to the Town of Gordonsville to help them reopen the Dix Memorial Pool.
Council member Nancy Alexander made the motion to spend the money, provided Gordonsville give Orange citizens the same entry fee discounts it will give Gordonsville citizens.
“This is an opportunity for government to impact the community in a positive way,“ she said.
“It helps people who otherwise would have no access to a pool,“ Mayor Henry Carter added.
“This $5,000 will save this town $100,000 in five years,“ councilman Harry Hopkins added. “The young people need activities to keep their minds centered,“ he said, seconding the motion.
Higginbotham countered that the pool was out of the town’s jurisdiction, despite the nobility of the cause.
“I have a problem with taking taxpayer money and spending it in Gordonsville,“ he said. “I hear what Harry says, but where do you stop? I see our responsibilities to the taxpayers first. This is unprecedented to send money to another community.“
“I look at government not from the point of view of taxes, but from the point of view of people,“ Carter said. “This offers people an opportunity to go swim-something they can’t do here. We’re not subsidizing the pool in Gordonsville. We’re allowing our kids to go to Gordonsville to use the pool there at the same discount they’re giving their citizens.“
“It’s a noble cause, but I can’t see where the town’s children are going to get $5,000 worth of use from the Gordonsville pool,“ Gibson countered. “We’re not asking them [Gordonsville] to help on our issues.“
The measure passed by a 3-2 vote with Higginbotham and Gibson dissenting.