Chapter 1 Life in Caroline County (PDF)
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Life In Caroline County 1 Introduction A Historical View County Government Demographics Conclusions CHAPTER 1 – LIFE IN CAROLINE COUNTY INTRODUCTION TO CAROLINE COUNTY Caroline County is located in the northeastern portion of Virginia along Interstate 95 approximately half way between the Virginia Capitol of Richmond and the City of Fredericksburg, as shown in Map 1.1. Bounded on the north by the Rappahannock River and the counties of King George and Stafford, it is approximately ninety miles from the nation’s capitol, Washington, D.C., and about 110 miles from Baltimore, Maryland. It is bordered by the counties of King & Queen and Essex to the east, by King William and Hanover Counties as well as the North Anna and Pamunkey Rivers to the south and Hanover and Spotsylvania Counties to the west. Caroline County is approximately thirty miles long and twenty miles wide and covers 562 square miles. With its mid-Atlantic location, Caroline County is within a day’s drive of over 65% of the nation’s popula- tion (see Map 1.2). There are two incorporated towns within Caroline County, Bowling Green and Port Royal. The Town of Bowling Green is located in the central portion of the County and serves as the County Seat, while the Town of Port Royal is located in the northeastern portion of the County along the Rappahannock River. A BRIEF HISTORICAL VIEW Caroline County was most likely founded in March of 1727, from the Counties of Essex, King & Queen, and King William. The County was formed in the first year of the reign of George II and took its name from the King’s wife, Queen Caroline. The County’s location, with its navigable rivers, appealed to the early colonial settlers in America. Captain John Smith explored what was to become Caroline County in 1607, and in 1608, visited the Indian village of “Doguetown”, near present day Milford on the Mattaponi River. At that time, seven different Indian tribes occupied the area that is now Caroline County. The Rappahannock River became a well-traveled shipping route and the natural harbor at Port Royal and was established as an important early trading center. Simultaneous to the establishment of the Town of Port Royal in 1744, several other commercial cen- ters emerged. Chesterfield (Ruther Glen) and the original Caroline Courthouse, located near present Kidd’s Fork, were two such trade centers of the time. Captain John Smith (http://www.apva.org/history/jsmith.html) Historically, Caroline’s commercial centers were supported by the agricultural industry of the County. Farm- ing in Caroline included the cultivation of a variety of crops, most importantly tobacco, as well as the raising of cattle and other livestock. Horse breeding farms have also been traditionally associated with Caroline County, as some of the County’s first thoroughbreds were imported from England to Caroline. In more mod- ern times, Meadow Farm along Route 30 was the home of Secretariat, the 1973 Triple Crown winner. For a more complete history of Caroline County, please turn to Chapter 5 of this plan. Chapter 1 - Life in Caroline County 1- 1 Map 1.1 - Caroline County Map 1.2 - Caroline County (highlighted in red) along the I-95 Corridor Chapter 1 - Life in Caroline County 1- 2 COUNTY GOVERNMENT BOARD OF SUPERVISORS County citizens are served by five elected supervisors under what is known as the County Board Form of Government. Each elected official represents an area of the County, containing about one-fifth of the County’s population, to ensure equal representation. The five districts are Bowling Green, Madison, Matta- poni, Port Royal and Reedy Church. Every four years, citizens get the opportunity to elect a representative to further their interests in the overall direction and operations of the County. The County expanded from four to five supervisors as a result of the federally mandated redistricting process in 1992. Redistricting must be accomplished every ten years after the completion of the decennial census. Map 1.3 identifies the bounda- ries of the five districts as adopted in 2002. Many people may believe that the Board of Supervisors has broad discretion in its powers and abilities. In reality, its powers are quite limited. This doctrine is commonly referred to as the “Dillon Rule”, which is a legal principle established in the late 1800s. The Dillon Rule states that local governments have the powers expressly delegated to them from the state. Virginia courts routinely apply the Dillon Rule to determine whether a local government has the legal author- ity to undertake an action. Virginia courts have determined that local governments have only those powers that are: 1) specifically conferred upon them by the Virginia General Assembly, 2) necessarily or fairly im- plied from a specific grant of authority and 3) essential to the purposes of government. From left to right: Robert J. “Bobby” Popowicz - Port Royal District, D.M. “Maxie” Rozell, Jr. - Reedy Church District, Wayne A. Acors - Madison District, Jeffrey M. “Jeff” Sili - Bowling Green District and Floyd W. Thomas - Mattaponi District Chapter 1 - Life in Caroline County 1- 3 Map 1.3 - Election District Map Chapter 1 - Life in Caroline County 1- 4 The Board of Supervisors is responsible for the overall conduct of County business, including budgeting and policy direction. The Board regularly meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, and as neces- sary to carry out its responsibilities. County Vision The Board of Supervisors adopted a Vision Statement and Core Values in June of 2008, to provide guiding principle for governmental decision-making. The Vision Statement and core values are as follows: It is the Vision of the government of Caroline County to recognize the need for an enriched community while respecting our history and embracing our future. Commitment – Committed to responsive, quality service delivered with timeliness, courtesy and fairness. Accountability – Individually, and in teams, always accepting responsibility for our behaviors, actions and results. Respect – Treat others with respect, be tolerant of differences, use good manners, be considerate of the feelings of others. Optimistic – Maintain a positive attitude in all we say and do. Loyalty – In word and deed to each other and to our community. Integrity – Act with honesty and fairness and always strive to do the right thing. Neighborly – Be good neighbors to our community, maintaining an environment of friendliness, helpfulness, and hospitality. Excellence – To be the best in everything we do. Provide efficient and effective services for County residents and busi- nesses. Strategic Planning Caroline County has adopted a strategic plan, which is prepared and updated by a citizen committee, ap- pointed by the Board. The strategic planning process uses the “balanced scorecard” approach, which identi- fies target dates, tangible outputs and outcomes, and appropriate measures. The plan establishes sixty-nine goals, with accompanying objectives and implementation strategies to meas- ure implementation of the plan for the following areas: Community Issues Economic Development & Tourism Finance Department Fire-Rescue & Emergency Management Human Resources Parks & Recreation Planning & Community Development Public Works The strategic plan complements the County’s Comprehensive Plan. As such, each update of the Strategic Plan offers the opportunity to review and update the Comprehensive Plan with respect to issues identified in the strategic planning process. Administration The day to day operations of County government are the responsibility of the County Administrator, who is appointed by the Board. The County Administrator oversees the operations of seven departments providing services directly to citizens, including public utilities (water and sewer), public works (buildings and grounds, Chapter 1 - Life in Caroline County 1- 5 new county construction), fire and rescue (volunteer assistance, training, career EMS, hazardous materials), economic development, parks and recreation, finance, and planning and community development (building construction, erosion & sediment control, stormwater management, zoning and planning). As County personnel perform their daily tasks, their conduct and delivery of services to County citizens is guided by a mission statement developed by them. This statement provides further support for the overall Vision of the County and its future. The Mission Statement is: The government of Caroline County exists to serve the people of Caroline County in a profes- sional, progressive and cost effective manner so all our citizens may enjoy a protected quality of life and appreciate our diversity through openness and citizen participation. In addition to the mission statement, County staff undertakes other internal processes to promote a high level of service. Department heads, under the supervision of the County Administrator, perform a Benchmark Analysis, which was first presented to the Board in 2000. This program analyzes five categories; service delivery, employee development, community involvement, policy direction and budgeting, and financial controls. The analysis is performed on average every two years, and is scheduled for completion in early 2009. Each department is also required to establish project goals every six months. This process is designed to im- prove County government operations, as well as to support the Strategic Plan, Comprehensive Plan, Bench- mark Analysis, and Customer Service Programs. First started in 2000, this continues to be an effective meas- ure of government programs. COUNTY EMPLOYEE DEMOGRAPHICS In 2008, a survey of County employees was conducted. This survey gathered information such as age, loca- tion and years of service. The survey shows that 74% of County employees live in the County and most are between the ages of 25 and 44. Most of the employees (73%) worked for the County five or fewer years at the time of the survey, 24% have been with the County between six and nineteen years and three percent of County employees have worked for the County over 20 years. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION & OUTREACH County officials cannot make decisions in a vacuum, without the participation of the citizens.