THEATER
SPORTS
‘Ease on Down the Road’ to audition for ‘The Wiz’
Spring brings big change to RIR PAGE
10
PAGE
12
Vol. 1 No. 42 | Richmond Suburban News | April 20, 2016
Budget OK’d with pay hikes, public safety, technology By Jim Ridolphi for The Hanover Local
M
ECHANICSVILLE — The Hanover County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $428.3 million fiscal year 2017 budget at a regularly scheduled meeting last week. The approved budget includes pay raises for county employees and teachers, additional sheriff’s deputies and EMS personnel positions, and funds for improved technology in Hanover schools. The final funding figures did not include additional Fire/EMS positions other than the five originally proposed, but did allot $50,000 from amended state revenues for the Fire and Rescue overtime budget. During a public hearing held earlier this month,
citizens expressed concerns regarding slower response times in the western portion of the county due to inadequate staffing at some stations. “In response to many in the western part of the county who are having some real issues with Fire/EMS response times…. we didn’t think as a board that $50,000 would take care of a deputy… or a fireman,” said Aubrey “Bucky” Stanley, chair and Beaverdam District representative, placing the funding in the Fire/EMS budget. The board also approved a five-year Capital Improvement Plan that includes $10 million in funds for school technology, renovation of the vacated General District Court building and funding for new libraries at Atlee and Montpelier. The plan outlines plans to hire 15 additional Fire/ EMS and 16 employees over the next five years.
Even with increased real estate tax revenues and increases in sales tax and building permit revenues, not everyone got what they requested in the new budget. Col. David R. Hines, sheriff, requested 10 new positions and Fire/EMS Chief Jethro Piland requested six positions when they presented their proposals last month. The approved 2017 budget, an increase of about $30 million or 7.5 percent more than the FY2016 budget, maintains Hanover’s traditional position as having the lowest tax rate in the region. The supervisors approved the unchanged 81 cents per $100 of assessed value. The approved document includes additional revenue provided by the General Assembly after the original proposal.
Those amendments included $418,000 for the schools to add a technology position, and $142,000 additional for the county. In addition to the Fire/ EMS allotment of those extra funds, there also is money for a Victim Witness program in the Commonwealth Attorney’s office. There are modest increases in water and sewer fees of 2.5 percent, estimated to cost the average Hanover user slightly over $3 bimonthly. “I am particularly aware that there are still unmet needs out there — the sheriff’s office, Fire/EMS and the schools have some areas where they are still making investments. We just want to say how much we appreciate everyone working with us to do the best for our citizens,” vice chair and Chickahominy District representative Angela Kelly-Wiecek said after the board’s approval.
SOLs causing problems for some students By Jim Ridolphi for The Hanover Local ASHLAND — Are SOL (Standards of Learning) tests causing undue stress on some students in Hanover County? According to some parents who have children who have unsuccessfully taken the test numerous times, the answer is yes. Stuart Bernstein expressed concerns regarding stringent policies that require students to pass SOLs in order to receive credit for required courses. The Lee-Davis High School teacher has two L-DHS students in Hanover County Public Schools, and said students being required to retake the tests over and over is causing undue stress. Students are required to pass six SOL tests between the ninth and
Jim Ridolphi for The Hanover Local
Student Government Association (SGA) officers from Rural Point Elementary School led Hanover County School Board members in the Pledge of Allegiance at last week’s meeting. Shown are, from left, Tyler McGrath, Jazmin Johnson, Ryder Bradley and Cooper Wrisberg.
12th grades in order to gain verified credits for a standard diploma. “Although this seems like a minimal expectation, to a child with a learning disability, it is quite a challenge,” Bernstein said. “Some students have taken the test 10 times.” He objects to current policy that requires students to retake the tests as many times as necessary to meet the passing mark, even if they have taken and passed the required classes. State regulations allow localities to accept credits in required subjects for students who pass the course and score a 375 on the SOL test. “According to the state, locally earned credits can be given to these students if they have taken the SOL test at least twice and have scored between 375 and 399. School dissee SOLs pg. 11
SPAGNA
ABBOTT
TRIVETT
FOLEY
Election nears; voter information listed By Meredith Rigsby News Editor ASHLAND — With the Tuesday, May 3, Town of Ashland General Election just around the corner, there are some important dates and deadlines locals need to keep in mind. Tuesday, April 26, at 5 p.m. is the deadline to request an absentee ballot be mailed to you; Saturday, April 30, at 5 p.m. is the deadline to request an
absentee ballot by appearing in-person at the Hanover County General Registrar’s Office; and Monday, May 2, is the cutoff for emergency ballot voting. Three town council seats are available during this year’s general election and there also will be a special election to fill the vacated seat of former mayor and council member Faye O. Prichard, see ELECTIONS, pg. 10