Friday, April 16, 2004

Back To The Drawing Board?
Delegate Clarke Hogan: Senate's Reception To House Budget Plan Could Slow Negotiation Process

Del. Clarke Hogan, R-Halifax, said yesterday that the Senate Finance Committee's cool reception to the House budget compromise bill indicates an unwillingness to compromise that could adversely affect the negotiation process.

"I hope I'm wrong," he said. "But I think we're dealing with some people who are very entrenched and have shown no indication they're willing to compromise the least little bit.

"I'm afraid this exercise has delayed solving the budget impasse," Hogan added. "I think we had a process and were making progress but the Senate doesn't seem to have any interest in moving an inch.

"We offered the compromise bill with the best of intentions, but to go forward in a spirit of compromise when the Senate is unwilling to compromise is an exercise in futility."

The Senate Finance Committee got its first look Wednesday at the new House tax bill — a plan so short of the money senators expected that some pundits are saying it could test the bipartisan unity the Senate has maintained in the protracted budget impasse.

The panel met for 80 minutes and took no action, as Democrats and Republicans reacted with dismay to a staff analysis showing the amended House compromise plan would net about $700 million, not the $972 million its sponsors had intended.

Senate Democrats in particular found the House plan lacking.

‘‘It’s very obvious that there are shortfalls in funding,’’ said Sen. Roscoe Reynolds, D-Henry County. ‘‘As important as getting a budget is, we don’t want to settle for something that shortchanges the people of Virginia.’’

"I was hopeful that the Senate was going to offer a reasonable compromise to end this budget impasse. But at this point, there's every indication that they are going to stick to their original revenue numbers," Hogan said.

House Bill 5018 is the first general tax increase to emerge from the House since 1986, part of the funding for then-Gov. Gerald Baliles’ transportation initiative.

Seventeen House Republicans defied their party’s anti-tax leadership and joined 36 Democrats to pass the tax bill 52-46 on Tuesday.

Hogan, who voted against the compromise plan, said the move by the breakaway Republicans could place them in an awkward position.

"If this bill goes back to conference, they've gone out there for nothing," the delegate added.

By breaking with party leadership, the group could feel pressure to vote for any measure that comes out of the Senate, he said.

Even as the senators applauded the breakaway Republicans’ courage, they criticized the bill as falling far short of spending priorities in the Senate budget.
Senate Democratic Leader Richard L. Saslaw said the bill provided too little tax fairness, and singled out its repeal of the tax imposed posthumously on the estates of multimillionaires.

‘‘We can’t, at least from my standpoint, repeal the estate tax on the one hand and impose the sales tax, which falls heaviest on the low-end people, without providing some other form of equity,’’ said Saslaw, of Fairfax County.

‘‘We’ve got a lot of work to do and we should do it in a timely fashion, but nobody should leave here thinking this is going to be a slam dunk. It’s not,’’ he said.

Reynolds, Saslaw and other Senate Democrats met privately Wednesday with Democratic Gov. Mark R. Warner, who is battling now to hold together the bipartisan Senate coalition without alienating the 17 breakaway House Republicans.

‘‘The pressure, the spotlight now does turn to the Senate. It’s incumbent on the governor to bring along as many senators as possible, especially the Democratic senators, and also to exert a lot of public pressure,’’ said Del. L. Preston Bryant of Lynchburg, who led the breakaway Republican delegates.

Warner told reporters he was disappointed that the bill the House passed ‘‘didn’t include all the revenues that the original bill had. But it was a significant step and I urge the whole Senate now to make sure they have a reasonable response.’’

As presented to the House on Tuesday, Del. Harry Parrish’s tax measure would boost the sales tax from 4.5 cents to 5 cents, increase the nation’s lowest cigarette tax from 2.5 cents per pack to 30 cents over two years and raise the levy on recording real estate deeds by 10 cents for every $100 in the transaction. It would reduce income taxes for most Virginians and exempt about 140,000 of the lowest-earning taxpayers from income taxes altogether by raising the minimum filing threshold.

When a last-minute amendment stripped out the real estate recording tax, however, the net revenue in the bill dropped by about $230 million over two years.

Del. Harvey Morgan, one of the House GOP mavericks, said he expected the House to restore the recording tax increase, but anything beyond $972 million has no support.

‘‘I hope they recognize that this is it. They can’t go beyond that. If they take it as high as a billion dollars, we will not be accepting it in the House,’’ Morgan said.

That’s about the size of a tax package Warner proffered in November.

When the Senate will take up the House bill again is uncertain. Finance Chairman John H. Chichester, R-Stafford, said he had not scheduled a new committee meeting when Wednesday’s meeting adjourned. He also dismissed an amendment that voids Parrish’s bill on April 24 unless a two-year state budget is not in place then.

‘‘Maybe we’ll amend that out of there. How about that?’’ Chichester said.

"That's a flip comment and that's the kind of person we're dealing with," Hogan countered. "The truth is (Chichester) has held up the budget process to try to extort the largest tax increase he can get out of the House.

"We think there's a way to get a package that will satisfy a lot of people and not be an unreasonable burden," he added. "But to get that we'll have to give a lot and the Senate will have to give a lot."

Public Plaza Named For Woody Bane In Halifax
The Plaza Will Be Located Adjacent to Halifax Town Hall

The late Woody K. Bane, who served the Town of Halifax as chief of police and town manager for decades, is being honored by town residents.

A new public plaza will be named for Bane.

The plaza, to be constructed during the town's revitalization, will be located adjacent to the Halifax Town Hall.

Bane, once described as the town's major-domo, epitomized small-town administration.

He knew the town's residents by name, and is remembered as performing his duties "with diligence, determination, fairness and grace befitting a true Halifax County gentleman."

Tuesday night, surrounded by the Bane family, Councilman Jack Dunavant read the following resolution, which he presented to Mrs. Bane:

Whereas, for over two decades Woody Kent Bane served as Chief of Police and Town Manager of the Town of Halifax in the Commonwealth of Virginia; and

Whereas, during this time Woody Kent Bane concurrently managed the Halifax Water Treatment Plant, the Halifax Wastewater Treatment Plant, directed traffic and public safety and acted as the Clerk of the Halifax Town Council; and

Whereas, Woody Kent Bane performed all of these same duties with the diligence, determination, fairness and grace befitting a true Halifax County gentleman; and

Whereas, Woody Kent Bane followed his exemplary service with the Town of Halifax by faithfully serving as the Sheriff of the County of Halifax for twelve years until his retirement; and

Whereas, Woody Kent Bane was a longtime resident of the Town of Halifax and a loving and devoted father who raised his family in the Town of Halifax; and

Whereas, over the years
Woody Kent Bane contributed greatly to the quality of life, general welfare and well being of the citizens of the Town of Halifax including all citizens of Halifax County, and passed on to this family his tradition of extraordinary giving to the community;

Now, Therefore Be It Resolved, on this 13th day of April, 2004, that by way of this resolution, the Halifax Town Council does hereby commend the Life and Public Service of Woody Kent Bane, who came to rest on January 2, 2004; and

Be It Further Resolved, that the Halifax Town Council presented this resolution to the Bane family as a permanent testimony to the beneficial service of Mr. Bane and hereby declares its intention to name the new public plaza to be constructed for the Halifax Downtown Revitalization Project adjacent to Halifax Town Hall in Mr. Bane's memory. Signed by Mayor Leon Plaster, Vice Mayor C.W. Daniel, and councilmen Jack Dunavant Jr., H.C. Phillips Sr., D.F. Guthrie, S.H. Thompson and W.A. Stevens.

County Blessed With $ Options

With $14.9 million in funding from the Tobacco Commission since 2000, low taxes, the forethought to turn "trash into cash," and a composite index that means an extra $4 million a year in state revenue for schools, Halifax County is poised to invest in its future.

In the following analysis, County Administrator Joe Morgan reviewed the county's position in a recent Forum publication:

No other Virginia county has the blessing to have extremely low property tax rates, combined with the windfall of extra state school funding, a major proportion of Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission funding, and a low-cost landfill.

Most rural Virginia counties have tax rates half again as high as Halifax.

This low tax opportunity was made possible over the past decade by the explosive growth of the tax base due to the Clover Power Plant location.

That growth of fifty percent was protected from loss of state revenue, due to the school funding freeze made possible by the reversion of South Boston from a city to a town. One of every three dollars raised by the Halifax County real estate tax rate is paid by utility companies, mostly from rates paid by customers statewide, not in Halifax County.

During this past decade, Halifax taxpayers have had a unique opportunity to invest this windfall in their businesses and families' well-being.

With the reversion of South Boston to a town, the county got to keep the low school fund matching percentage (known as the composite index) of 23.8 percent. Without the reversion, the index would be about 37 percent.

That index is used to determine the local share of most of the "ability to pay" school revenue sources.

Without the lower index, Halifax County schools would receive about $4 million less state school revenue.

Since 2000, Halifax has received significant Tobacco Commission funding for economic development. Tobacco Commission grants of $14.9 million have already been received.

That amount is more than all the $14 million total taxes property paid in Halifax County this year. The Southern Virginia Higher Education Center got $1.7 million to complete the building used by thousands of county citizens.
Riverstone Technology Park has received over $7.4 million and is pledged $1 million per year for the next nine years to finance Riverstone Building I, which may well become the signature county landmark of the 21st century.

Virginia International Raceway is able to expand and diversify due to a $1.4 million utility grant to the Halifax County Service Authority, partnered with over $2 million granted to Danville and Pittsylvania County.

The county has a new Agricultural Marketing Center and Tuck Airport is getting an office/hangar building thanks to the Tobacco Commission.

All these Tobacco Commission initiatives have required no new Halifax County tax dollars.

Many of the assets that set Halifax County apart are gifts, at minimal or no cost to local taxpayers, such as the $35 million spent on Berry Hill Mansion and $20 million invested in the VIR restoration and renewal.

Other unique assets made possible with major gifts from outside the county include: The Prizery, Staunton River and Staunton River Battleground State Parks, and William M. Tuck Airport.

While most local governments have struggled to meet the costs of environmentally sound solid waste disposal, South Boston has allowed Halifax County to turn trash into cash. What, after 2007, will probably be a $2 million annual tab to "put out the garbage" has been, since 2000, a $200,000 per year cash receipt to the county treasury.

This gain was due to South Boston Town Manager Ted Daniel proposing to fill up the airspace required to close out the town landfill with county garbage instead of expensive fill dirt.

The Halifax County community has usually struggled to bash out key decisions.

However, in my opinion, the hard decisions may have set Halifax apart from its neighbors, as our decision-makers continue to "agree to disagree,"

I hope they will keep in mind the goal of maintaining Halifax County as the premiere county of Southside Virginia. My forebears that enlisted in the American Revolution from Halifax County would expect nothing less.

Like the parable of the talents in the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew, how will the county use these gifts? Will investment be made and reap ten-fold benefits or will we bury our blessing, in an attempt not to lose it. Hopefully, the Halifax community will earn the coveted praise: "Well done thy good and faithful servant."

Track Team Striving To Improve
Positive Attitudes, Hard Work And Continued Improvement Could Make Comets Competitive In The District Championship Meet

By JOE CHANDLER | G-V Staff Writer

Halifax County High School girls track coach Mary Douglas preaches the importance of a good attitude, a good work ethic and making the most of each opportunity in both practice and competition.

If the members of the Comets girl track team take those things to heart, the team has the potential to accomplish some good things before the season is over.

"We don't have a lot of talent this year," said Douglas.

"The girls that are out there have a positive attitude and are trying hard. They just need to work a little harder to get where they need to be."

Douglas is hoping her athletes will continue to progress to a point where they can be competitive in the Western Valley District championship meet later this spring.

The best the Comets can hope for, she said, is for her team to be in contention for second place in the district meet.

E.C. Glass, Douglas says, has the athletes and the numbers to dominate the district competition as it has for many seasons.

"If everybody does what they are capable of doing, I feel we can earn second place," Douglas said.

"What I'm focusing on is trying to get as many of our girls as possible qualified for the Northwest Region and state meets.

"I'm sure we'll advance several of our girls on to the regionals," she added.

In terms of progress, Douglas says her team is moving forward.

"A lot of the girls are progressing the way they should," Douglas pointed out.

"We also have some that are still timid and unsure of themselves. That is due to the fact that this is their first year of running track at this level."

A factor influencing the team this season is an absence of competitors in three events, pole vault, the 1,600-meter race (mile) and the 3,200-meter race (two-mile).

Due to safety considerations, Halifax County High School has not participated in the pole vault in either the girls or boys competitions in many years.

The loss of points due to a lack of distance runners for the mile and two-mile running events hurts the team more than the loss in the pole vault.

Halifax County has fared pretty well in the field events this season.

In the high jump, Douglas has Juanita Kincy leading the contingent.

Kincy, who has a top mark of four feel and 10 inches this spring, "has the potential to jump over five feet," Douglas pointed out.

Deelynn Leigh, freshman Shimyka Boyd, and a recent newcomer, sophomore Lavonne Kirby are joining Kincy in competing in the high jump.

In the long jump, the Comets are led by Shemelia Brandon who has a best jump of 16-2 to date and Shaday Barksdale who has a best mark of 15-5.

The Comets also have Siobhan Howerton, with a best effort of 15-3, and Shaday Coleman, who has a best effort of 14-9 competing in the event.

Ashton Claiborne, who has posted a best of 15-2 and is still trying to find more consistency and LaDonna Canada, are also competing in the long jump.

In the triple jump, the Comets have Shaday Barksdale leading the way with a best mark of 33-1.

Howerton has hit a mark of 31 feet in the event and Coleman, who has competed in the event only once, has leaped 29-8.

Douglas has a handful of girls working out in the shot put with Brittany Gayles leading the way with a best mark of 32-4.

"She is carrying us there," Douglas said of Gayles.

Also working in the shot put is Canada who missed placing in the district indoor meet this past winter by a mere inch, Valerie Carden, who has qualified for the district meet, and Whitney Stanfield.

Dakeisha Teeters, who is strong in the discus, is expected to give the Comet some strength in the shot put.

Also working out in the shot put are Jobyna Terry and Markeisha Coleman.

In the discus, it is Teeters that is leading the Comets effort with a best toss to date of 89 feet.

Stanfield is also working out in the discus and could help give the Comets some depth.

In the running events, Douglas has good depth in the 100-meter race.

Brandon has posted the best effort among her teammates to date with a best time of 17.75 seconds, a mark she recorded in the recent Vince Bradford Relays. That mark was one one-hundredth of a second shy of qualifying her for the state meet in that event.

Kincy will compete in the event for the first time on Saturday in the Appomattox Invitational and joins Coleman, Claiborne, Canada and Erica Taylor as potential candidates for entry in that event.

That same group of runners also is working out in the 200-meter race.

Brandon has the best time among her teammates in that event with a time of 25.8 seconds.

In the 400-meter race, it will be Brandon and Kincy that will be expected to carry the Comets' effort. Leigh may also run in that event from time to time, Douglas noted.

Halifax County has good contingent of entries in the 800-meter race with Brandon leading the way in that event with a best clocking of 2:28.

"She is a very flexible runner," Douglas said noting Brandon's ability to compete well in events of varying lengths.

Leigh, who has a best mark of 2:38 thus far and Barksdale, who has a best mark of 2:41, give the Comets pretty good depth at that event.

Howerton, Coleman, and Stanfield are also working out in that event.

In the 300-meter hurdles, it is Kincy that is leading the way with a best clocking of 51 seconds.

Coleman has clocked in at 53 seconds and Howerton has posted a best time of 54 seconds in the event.

Also working out in that event are freshman Janelle Dunn, Jennifer Yancey, Monica Sydnor and Taylor.

In the 100-meter hurdles, Coleman is topping the Comets' list of participants with a 17.2 second clocking.

Taylor, who has no previous experience in the hurdles, has posted a time in the 18-second range.

Halifax County has had good performances from its relay teams this season.

The Comets' 4x800-meter relay team presently consists of Barksdale, Leigh, Coleman and Howerton.

Halifax County's 4x400-meter relay team consisting of Leigh, Barksdale, Kincy and Brandon, has posted a best mark of 4:16.

Douglas says she has not settled on a definite lineup for the 4x100-meter relay team.

"We're working with different people, working with different combinations, trying to put together the best group we can."

Halifax County High School's girls track team will next compete in the Appomattox Invitational Meet.

That event will be held Saturday at Appomattox High School.

Obituaries

Charlie Wesley Williams

Charlie Wesley Williams, 68, of 1231 Henry's Mill Road, Vernon Hill died April 11 at Halifax Regional Hospital.

Mr. Williams was born in Halifax County on October 5, 1935, the son of the late Henry K. Williams and Louise Hankins Williams, and was married to Shirley Graves Williams.

Survivors include his wife; daughters, Debbie A. Britton of Greensboro, N.C. and Vera D. Bradley of Rustburg; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; four sisters; and seven brothers. Mr. Williams was preceded in death by one son, Jeffrey Williams.

Funeral services were held April 15 at 11 a.m. at Crawford House Chapel in Halifax with the Rev. Roger Ford officiating. Burial took place in New Vernon Baptist Church Cemetery.