SSentinel.com Serving Middlesex County and adjacent areas of the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck since 1896 Vol. 120, No. 1 Urbanna, Virginia 23175 • April 3, 2014 Two Sections • 75¢ Board proposes 5-cent tax hike by Larry Chowning a 10% tax increase on real estate. The county’s total FY15 budget is up The Middlesex County Board of $1,524,039—an 8% jump over FY14. Supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday to The largest increase in the FY15 hold a public hearing on the county’s proposed budget is in education. proposed 2014-15 (FY15) budget on During FY14, $7.5 million in county Thursday, April 10, at 7 p.m. at the his- funds were budgeted for education. In toric courthouse in Saluda. the FY15 budget, the proposed county A 5-cent increase in the county’s funding for education is $8.2 million, real estate tax is included in the pro- an increase of $741,000 in county posal. The current tax rate per $100 of funds. Funding this increase alone will value is 48 cents; the proposed rate is necessitate a 3-cent real estate tax hike. 53 cents. The second largest increase is for The proposed FY15 budget totals Middlesex’s share of funding the $21,294,176, of which $14,414,565 is Middle Peninsula Regional Security for county schools. This includes local, Center in Saluda. In FY14, $744,000 state and federal funds. was budgeted. In FY15, $929,000 is Supervisors Pete Mansfi eld and Bob budgeted—a jump of $185,000. LeBoeuf were in favor of advertising Middlesex now has the highest the budget with a 4-cent tax increase number of inmates in the jail, which on real estate. Board chair Jack Miller means the county must pay a larger voted for the 5-cent increase along share of the overall cost of operating with supervisors Wayne Jessie and the facility. Beth Hurd. The third largest increase in the Miller noted the board can vote to budget proposal is for law enforce- lower the 5-cent tax hike, but cannot ment, up $134,000 over the current raise it. A penny on the assessed $1.4 million. value of real estate generates about At an earlier meeting, county Twigg Bridge project on schedule $215,000 in revenue. If approved, the administrator Matt Walker stated that 5-cent increase would generate about The last section of decking concrete was poured on Tuesday on the Twigg Bridge over the Piankatank $1,075,000, and would represent about (See Budget, page A10) River. Precon Marine vice president Brian Magee said the two-year project is on schedule to be substan- tially completed by the deadline of May 30, when traffi c will be moving in both directions at the same time. This is the fi rst major overhaul of the bridge that was built in 1953. (Photo by Tom Chillemi) Proposed 5-cent tax hike Sunken barge remains in Urbanna Creek; catches some by surprise by Larry Chowning Linda Muller of Urbanna said she was “livid” when she heard owner faces up to $10,000 per day fi ne Several people voiced opinions on that supervisors were considering the proposed FY15 county budget a 5-cent tax hike. “We don’t have by Larry Chowning Offi ce received the VMRC letter on on a solution to the problem. during the public comment period at enough time to write a Letter to the Friday and is now in the process of The barge has been sunk on the Tuesday’s meeting of the Middlesex Editor opposing this because the Virginia Marine Resources Com- drafting legal papers. Bull said he does bottom of Urbanna Creek since April Board of Supervisors. Sentinel deadline was noon today mission (VMRC) offi cials have fi led not know how long this will take and 2012. The ownership of the barge was The proposed budget totals about (Tuesday).” papers with the Virginia Attorney in what jurisdiction the papers will be determined in an October 21, 2013 $21 million and includes a 5-cent The public comment period and General’s Offi ce to have the sunken fi led. He said this will be determined trial in Middlesex General District real estate tax increase. A public the vote by supervisors to advertise barge in Urbanna Creek removed, by the judge who will handle the case. Court. At that trial, a judge ruled that hearing on the proposed budget will a 5-cent real estate tax increase was and to possibly establish a fi ne of up On February 25, VMRC ordered Watson owned the barge and imposed be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 10, held and voted on at the board’s 3 to $10,000 a day on the barge owner Watson to have the barge profession- the maximum fi ne of $500, plus at the historic courthouse in Saluda. p.m. meeting on Tuesday. until the barge is off the creek bottom. ally marked as an obstruction and $81 in court costs, but did not order Carolyn Wake of Deltaville and The 5-cent proposal was brought VMRC commissioner John Bull hazard within seven days and remove Watson to remove the barge. one other speaker spoke in favor of up at the budget work session on said the deadline for barge owner the barge within 30 days. Watson Watson has contended throughout the 5-cent tax hike. “I’m very proud Tuesday morning around 10:30 a.m. Raymond (Ray) E. Watson Jr. of marked the barge within the seven- the process the now defunct Potomac of this county,” said Wake. “I feel we Prior to that, most of the public was Mechanicsville to remove the barge day requirement. Timber Investment #227 LLC owned must raise taxes to meet the needs of was March 28. “I promptly sent a On March 18, a 100-ton capac- the barge and he purchased it as an our county.” (See Tax hike, page A3) letter to the Attorney General’s Offi ce ity crane attempted to lift the 50-ton agent of the LLC. However, he had asking for legal proceedings to be barge off the creek bottom but was agreed at an earlier VMRC meeting initiated in an enforcement action to unable to budge it. Watson, who to remove the barge by February 24, compel the removal of the barge for was at the site on Urbanna Yachting 2014. non-compliance. It will be up to the Center property on that day, said the It appears that the “mud and water” Deltaville residents judge, but the fi ne could be up to barge was stuck in the mud and the of Urbanna Creek that is inside the $10,000 a day.” company he had hired to remove it barge has made its removal more dif- Bull said the Attorney General’s would have to have its engineers work fi cult and more expensive, said Bull. want better water by Larry Chowning good for fi re-fi ghting purposes. Topping woman with rare ‘bubble boy’ Ernest Asaff of Norview Marina The Middlesex County Board of said that poor water quality does not Supervisors voted Tuesday to direct encourage the growth of businesses. disease continues to lead productive life county staff to study ways to establish “Deltaville is a great cruising destina- a Public Service Authority to provide tion but I’m concerned that we have by Larry Chowning drinking water to different parts of the become the town on the bay known county. for our lousy drinking water.” When Ann Jones of Topping was The issue surfaced at the April 1 Paul Howle of the Stove Point Home- 5 years old and had been diagnosed meeting of the board when members owners Association said, “It’s getting to with Common Variable Immune Defi - of the Deltaville Chamber of Com- be a crisis. The property on Stove Point ciency (CVID), her doctors told her merce encouraged supervisors to fi nd is worth between $57 and $80 million mother, Joan Curtis, she would not ways to improve water quality in the and is some of the most valuable real live beyond age 11. Stove Point and Fishing Bay areas. estate in the county. The people who Her disease is better known as “We have a demonstrated need for come down on weekends to their homes “bubble boy disease” made famous better water in the lower (eastern) end have to take their laundry home to wash in a 1976 fi lm “A Boy in the Plastic of the county,” said chamber president because the water is so cruddy.” Bubble” starring John Travolta, and Keith Ruse. “We are willing to part- Middlesex County Attorney Mike in 1986 when Paul Simon wrote the ner with the county to see how we can Soberick said the county will need to song “The Boy in the Bubble.” make it work. We are asking that the have a Public Service Authority cre- CVID is a very rare immune system county assign some resources to get ated and approved by a local judge disorder in which the patient has a this project under way.” before things can move forward. A low level of antibodies that help fi ght Dr. Edwin Ruark said that many Public Service Authority in some off infections. The disease leaves one wells on Stingray Point and Stove counties is created to better the qual- open to recurrent infections in the Point have salt intrusion and are unfi t ity of life by providing water, sewer, ears, sinuses and respiratory system, for drinking or washing clothes.