ATTA News

ATTA Pizza and (Root) Beer Taxpayer Reception

2009-02-24T05:47:00.000-08:00

Challenging Economic Environment Requires Thinking Outside the "Tax Box"

The Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance (ATTA) will host its second annual Pizza and (root) Beer Taxpayer Reception on Wednesday, February 25th, in the lobby of Lane Auditorium beginning at 5 p.m.

The event commemorates the second anniversary of Supervisor David's Slutzky's 2007 comment that "... do taxpayers want government to give them an extra pizza and a beer a month? That is the issue."

During the event, ATTA's Keith Drake (Chairman) and Peter Wurzer (Director of Research) will present brief comments regarding next year's budget, the recently released Resource Management Review report, and a summary of ATTA's advice to the Board of Supervisors on how to deal with the current challenging economic environment.

ATTA will also unveil an exciting project, in which all taxpayers can participate and contribute to more effective and efficient spending by county government.

The reception is open to the public. Free Vocelli's Pizza and free root beer will be provided to all in attendance.

ATTA Opposes Local Food Hub

2009-02-03T05:41:00.000-08:00

To members of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors:

The Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance (ATTA) has learned the Albemarle Board of Supervisors is considering awarding a grant from the county's Economic Opportunity Fund. The proposed grantee, known as The Local Food Hub, has applied for a grant of $80,000 for the purpose of creating "...a non-profit organization that offers local food purchasing, processing, wholesale and direct distribution, warehousing and essential services to the Charlottesville area to address the growing demand for local foods and support expansion of local agriculture."

ATTA opposes granting this funding for the following reasons.

Principle: ATTA believes that the free enterprise system is the most effective and efficient system in the world at satisfying human needs. It also believes that from time to time it is in the people's best interest for county government to financially encourage the formation of new private enterprises when the following conditions are met:

the enterprise has a high likelihood of long-term financial success and commitment to the county
the owners of the enterprise have ongoing financial risk
county funding leverages the enterprise's greater capital assets for the benefit of the county
the enterprise increases economic activity in the county and employment for county residents proportionate to the financial assistance granted

Position: ATTA believes that the undated business plan submitted by The Local Food Hub to the Board of Supervisors fails to meet some of these commonsense conditions. Albemarle County's investment is at risk because:

Losses for the first three years will exceed $750,000
The salary line does not project increases in staffing consistent with a business growing 50% per year. So are the sales forecasts in error or the salary line?
Year to year survival will depend on a continuing stream of cash from generous, but perhaps not very wise, donors
Annual advertising/marketing budget will average less than 1% of sales. Even if "local grown" is cheaper, which it may not be, it will need marketing.
Annual sales forecasts and expense projections are formula driven, suggesting that little thought has been given to the vagaries of the market
No discussion of customer price sensitivity is presented
No quantification of producing farmers' capacity and willingness to "bet the farm" on this venture
Risks of the venture seem to be disproportionately borne by the producer/farmer
No risks/opportunities analysis to help prepare for potential events
Grantees are managers, not owners, and have no personal financial risk beyond employment

Conclusion: While ATTA believes the goal to be laudable, it objects to the ill-prepared business plan, which does not thoroughly evaluate the risks and opportunities inherent in the proposed endeavor.

Furthermore, ATTA strongly believes that nothing motivates a fledgling business operator more than the risk of personal loss. Conversely, mere managers can walk away from others' losses and find different jobs.

For these reasons, ATTA believes that The Local Food Hub's request for $80,000 of taxpayer money should not be approved. ATTA recommends that criteria similar to those expressed above become part of the yardstick used to measure future applications to the county's Economic Opportunity Fund.

ATTA Scottsville Town Hall Meeting

2009-01-22T05:38:00.000-08:00

Financial Challenges Requires New Spending Mentality

The Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance (ATTA) will continue its series of local town hall meetings on Thursday, January 22nd, in Scottsville, VA, 7:00 p.m., at the Scottsville Firehouse (131 Irish Rd).

The ATTA Town Hall meetings highlight the growth of the Albemarle budget since 2000, educate the public on the ATTA's predictions for the upcoming budget debate, and suggest how citizens can help to achieve more effective and efficient government spending.

The Scottsville Town Hall meeting will provide new information about the upcoming 2009/10 budget process learned by ATTA since its last town hall meeting on November 20th.

ATTA Chairman Keith C. Drake stated "Now is not the time to raise taxes, obviously, but the Albemarle Board of Supervisors is supporting a 20% increase on local sales tax for transportation spending. Transportation is the responsibility of the state, not the county. Our supervisors should show leadership and demand this funding from the state--not take the easy way out and tax its citizens more."

At the Scottsville Town Hall Meeting, ATTA will identify a new questionable spending item currently under consideration by Albemarle County.

Peter Wurzer, ATTA Director of Research, said "We are faced today with a simple choice: either raise taxes, or spend our current revenues more wisely. Our goal is to educate the public that there is a choice, and that county government has the ability to make more effective and efficient use of our tax dollars".

ATTA Town Hall Meetings are free and open to the public.

ATTA Opposes Transportation Tax Increase‏

2009-01-13T12:24:00.000-08:00

To members of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors:

The membership of the Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance (ATTA) takes the position that any Board of Supervisors action to increase taxation on local residents for the purpose of funding local transportation projects would be unduly burdensome on Albemarle residents and is wrong in principle.

Principle: It is and has been the role of the Commonwealth to fund local transportation projects through an array of taxes levied by the Commonwealth. ATTA strongly believes that to shift, willing or not, the cost for transportation projects to local residents is ignoring the real issue.

Albemarle County must attack the root of the problem, which is the Commonwealth's failure to assume its rightful responsibility regarding transportation. Some members of the board may believe it is politically more expedient to simply work around the Commonwealth's budget process to fund local transportation projects. This approach would only add to the already inequitable tax burden put on Albemarle residents through the revenue sharing agreement with the City of Charlottesville.

Regarding revenue sharing, the Commonwealth makes no adjustment in its funding formulas for Albemarle County to mitigate the massive annual transfer of funds from the county to Charlottesville. Lastly, what precedent does this set for the next time our supervisors wish to fix a Richmond-based problem. Is the next step for Albemarle to assume the Commonwealth's responsibility for education or social welfare?

Potential Impact: Beyond short-circuiting the Commonwealth's function in this matter is the quality of analysis being applied to the endeavor. Based on the utterances of the proponents of this proposal, ATTA fails to see any evidence of properly reasoned thought.

Issues abound:

The current transit system shared by Charlottesville and Albemarle is 90% publicly funded and only 10% funded by users. Given incremental capital costs to expand routes, what is the likelihood that any such system would be even close to break-even? The vision is beautiful; the costs are back-breaking.
Can any proponents of a regional transit system identify other metropolitan areas of similar size that have implemented a truly successful system?
A regional mass transit plan holds the potential for Albemarle County and other entities to undertake a huge, long-term commitment for public transportation that will be largely funded by the public, not users.
What happens if the costs of this system are disproportionate to the benefit that each community reaps?
What happens if sales tax revenue continues to decline?
Where does funding come from to maintain the system? Out of public safety, education, or additional real estate taxes? Or will the system be reduced to not meeting very many transportation needs and hemorrhage public money anyway?
If this is such a good idea, why isn't private industry seizing the opportunity?
How will resource allocation decisions be made? What recourse will communities have that do not agree with the decisions?
Albemarle County is already seeing sales tax revenues waning in part because it is cheaper for our residents to shop elsewhere. An increased sales tax rate will only accelerate the trend to shop elsewhere.
A 20% increase in the sales tax rate resulting from this proposal will give big and small business yet another reason to avoid Albemarle County and do more harm to the tax base.

Conclusion: ATTA opposes this proposal and any like it because it does not solve the root cause of our transportation funding problem.

Likewise, ATTA opposes the well-intended but poorly analyzed public transit vision as being yet another government program that has not clearly defined the need or the costs and cannot guarantee the benefit promised.

ATTA Crozet Town Hall Meeting

2008-11-19T05:33:00.000-08:00

The Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance (ATTA) will continue its series of local town hall meetings on Thursday, November 20th, in Crozet, VA, 7:00 p.m., at the Crozet Firehouse (5652 Three Notched Rd).

In case you can't make it, you can download the presentation in advance.

The ATTA Town Hall meetings highlight the growth of the Albemarle budget since 2000, educate the public on the ATTA's predictions for the upcoming budget debate, and suggest how citizens can help to achieve more effective and efficient government spending.

The Crozet Town Hall meeting will provide new information about the upcoming 2009/10 budget process learned by ATTA since its last town hall meeting on September 22nd.

ATTA Chairman Keith C. Drake stated "All companies, markets, and individual households experience business cycles: alternating periods of growth and occasional retraction. This is normal. But when it comes to Albemarle County government there seems to be only one business cycle: always grow. It's time that local county government act responsibly and figure out how to meet the core needs of county government without simply raising taxes. That's the easy way out."

At the Crozet Town Hall Meeting, ATTA will outline its challenge to the Board of Supervisors regarding its Resource Utilization Study, currently underway.

Peter Wurzer, ATTA Director of Research, said "Since our first town hall meetings, we have new numbers regarding expectations of declining revenues to the county as a result of the current economic climate. Our position is that we are faced with a simple choice: either raise taxes, or spend our current revenues more wisely. Our goal is to educate the public that there is a choice, and that county government has the ability to make more effective and efficient use of our tax dollars".

ATTA Town Hall Meetings are free and open to the public.

September Newsletter & Links of Interest

2008-11-16T05:15:00.000-08:00

ATTA has released its September newsletter and would also like to point you to some recent articles of notices:

County’s decision: Cuts or tax hike
November 13, 2008

County’s shortfall looking worse
October 24, 2008

Group finds county fees overly taxing
August 30, 2008

County weighs need for tax hike
August 19, 2008

Pros, cons of city’s self-evaluation
July 16, 2008

ATTA Hollymead Town Hall Meeting

2008-09-17T05:08:00.000-07:00

Challenging Economy Requires Responsible Government

The Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance (ATTA) will continue its series of local town hall meetings on Thursday, September 18th, in Northern Albemarle, 7:00 p.m., at the Hollymead Firehouse.

The ATTA Town Hall meetings highlight the growth of the Albemarle budget since 2000, educate the public on the ATTA's predictions for the upcoming budget debate, and suggest how citizens can help to achieve more effective and efficient government spending.

The Hollymead Town Hall meeting will provide new information about the upcoming 2009/10 budget process learned by ATTA since its last town hall meeting on August 25th.

ATTA Chairman Keith C. Drake stated "All companies, markets, and individual households experience business cycles: alternating periods of growth and occasional retraction. This is normal. For example, at the state level, the governor is preparing government for up to 15% budget cuts. This is responsible.

But when it comes to Albemarle County government there seems to be only one business cycle: always grow despite the current economic climate. It's time that local county government act responsibly and figure out how to meet the core needs of county government without simply raising taxes. That's the easy way out."

The Town Hall Meetings will be held at several locations throughout the county, making it convenient for everyone to attend a meeting close by.

Peter Wurzer, ATTA Director of Research, said "Since our first town hall meeting, we have new numbers regarding expectations of declining revenues to the county as a result of the current economic climate. Our position is that we are faced with a simple choice: either raise taxes, or spend our current revenues more wisely. Our goal is to educate the public that there is a choice, and that county government has the ability to make more effective and efficient use of our tax dollars".

The ATTA Town Hall Meetings are free and open to the public:

Thursday, September 18, 7:00 p.m. - Hollymead Fire Station (3575 Innovation DR, Charlottesville 22911)
Monday, September 22, 7:00 p.m. - Monticello Fire Station (25 Mill Creek DR, Charlottesville 22902)
Coming in October: Crozet / White Hall Area Town Hall Meeting

ATTA Challenges County Government - It's time to Follow Through on Good Ideas

2008-04-10T19:34:00.000-07:00

The Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance (ATTA) has been advocating for county government to identify and implement operational efficiencies and more careful capital expenditures. Better stewardship of tax revenues contributed by taxpayers leads to more responsible government.

ATTA has publicly recognized the Albemarle County School Board for conducting its Resource Utilization Review and paying heed to its results. ATTA is encouraged by the preliminary work being done by the School Board to implement the report's recommendations.

ATTA has repeatedly recommended that general county government should conduct a similar review and follow its recommendations. ATTA is encouraged at the growing support within the Board of Supervisors for such a review:

Ken Boyd has been pushing for years for the county to perform a comprehensive evaluation of its budgeting process.
Dennis Rooker (WINA, April 3, 2008) "... (we are) continuing to do a thorough look at the budget for efficiencies. I think that there will be momentum for the Board to do an efficiency study much like the Resource Utilization Study that schools just completed."
David Slutzky indicated on (WINA, April 7, 2008) that he would support the county doing a similar exercise as the School Board has done.

It appears that we only need the support of one more supervisor to move forward.

ATTA suggests the following actions:

The School Division should continue its study and implementation of the findings in its Resource Utilization Study by doing the following:

Identify each cost saving measure or change suggested by the Resource Utilization Study that are under consideration.
Provide a timeline to the public for the analysis and implementation of each measure.
As each of the measures move to implementation, publish estimated savings or cost additions to the school division for yearly operating or future capital expenditure.

Local Government, in the absence of a more comprehensive program, should continue its current Programs and Service Review initiative. The goal of this program is a 10% reduction in operating expenses, as targeted in the budget manual. However, optimum results would be achieved with commission of an outside group to conduct a 'Resource Utilization' type study, similar to that conducted by the School Division. This professional approach would provide:

A thorough knowledge of government "best practices" and appropriate "benchmarks" to ensure that Albemarle County programs are both effective and efficient.
A disciplined approach to the measurement of service levels, for example if 1.5 police offices per 1,000 population is a the objective standard, what can our citizens expect in specific benefits in terms of reduced crime, higher conviction rates etc.
Thinking that is creative and innovative in recognition of opportunities.
Clearly identified cost savings and a time line for implementation of more effective and efficient government.

In this way, the Board would continue to make progress immediately with its current Program and Service Review initiative, and then merge those efforts into a more comprehensive "Resource Utilization" activity.

ATTA challenges the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors to show its commitment to more responsible government today. While the tax rate is an important issue, how we get there is more important. It's time to change the process. It's time for the Board to demonstrate its commitment to efficient government and effective use of taxpayer's money.

Dennis Rooker (WINA, April 3, 2008): "Part of our job is to make sure the county operates like a business, to make certain that it's efficient."

It's time to stop talking; it's time to start acting.

There is no more blood in the turnip. There is no more tolerance in the taxpayer.

We call on county government to do what is right.

Albemarle Truth in Taxation's March Newsletter Now Available

2008-03-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

You can now find the Albemarle Truth in Taxation's March newsletter over in our research section. Keith provides a Tax Rate 101 tutorial that describes the proper perspective with which to view changes in your tax rates, while Peter looks at a Supervisor's recent infamous "pizza and beer" comment and shows how one person's tax increase means less pizza and beer but, more commonly, another person's tax increase makes it harder to afford a Medicare co-pay or doctor's visit.

Introducing ATTA's Tax Calculator

2008-03-10T11:19:00.000-07:00

Today we've added a very simple tool to our website that lets you see how your real estate taxes in Albemarle County would change under a variety of tax rates (current rate = $0.68/$100 of assessed value). Head on over, plug in your property's assessed value, change the tax rate assumption, and see what the upcoming county budget discussions mean to your pocketbook.

County Under Fire Over Rescue Station Spending

2008-03-08T07:10:00.000-08:00

Thanks in large part to the extensive research completed by Peter Wurzer of the Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance, the Daily Progress has picked up the story of how Albemarle County residents are concerned about the significant cost overruns involved with the Hollymead Fire Rescue Station. The station's grand opening occurs at 2pm this afternoon.

The new station, originally budgeted at $3.7m in 2004, ended up costing nearly $5.9m. In response to concerns over the cost, county spokesperon Lee Catlin mentioned the needs for extra community rooms, office space, bunkrooms, and UVA design requirements.

While we take no issue with the need for a new fire rescue station in Hollymead, the issue is: should it have cost $5.9m, nearly 60% over budget?

Should it contain a community meeting room when we already have on available at nearby Hollymead School?
Should the bathrooms have four different kinds of tiles with tiled accent courses driving up costs?
Should we have sculptured ceilings in the main hallway and lounge?
Is a floor medallion needed at the intersection of the main hallways?
Did we really have to have a portico on the back and four columns on the front?

The questions are not merely academic at this point, as there are two more fire rescue stations in the works. Can we come back down to earth and build a structure that meets appropriate needs without careless spending of taxpayer dollars?

Undoubtedly, the architectural requirements at North Fork necessitated some higher costs for the Hollymead station. Nonetheless, this was known well in advance, and doesn't answer the question of why the estimated cost was calculated so badly during the plan's inception.

As plans for the two future stations get underway, taxpayers need to be wary of any estimate that's provided by the county. Why? Look no further than Hollymead.

City/County Revenue Sharing 101 - The Annexation and Revenue Sharing Agreement between Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville

2008-03-07T07:01:00.000-08:00

Although the issue of revenue sharing came up during last year's budget discussions, it's back in fuller force this year as Board of Supervisor's chairman Ken Boyd has questioned some of the assumptions underlying the agreement.

The Annexation and Revenue Sharing Agreement was adopted by Charlottesville & Albemarle in 1982 due to Charlottesville’s threat to annex a large amount of Albemarle’s tax base (see the county's executive summary here).

How does it work? In return for the promise by Charlottesville not to annex our land (i.e., tax base), Albemarle pays a lump sum to Charlottesville every year based partially on our tax base.

Although state law later prohibited cities from being able to annex land from counties, the Revenue Sharing Agreement did not go away and remains in place today.

This year, the Revenue Sharing Agreement will result in a lump sum payment to Charlottesville of $13.6 million.

The Agreement (Section V) required Charlottesville and Albemarle to study the consolidation of services, such as fire and rescue emergency services. Nothing came of that effort.

Today--26 years later--there are no ongoing discussions about consolidating services. Yet Albemarle has paid Charlottesville over $600,000 per year for the last seven years for emergency services—and is considering to do so for another five years!

Why is Albemarle paying Charlottesville for services that should have been combined under the Agreement’s original intent?

Let’s ask the Albemarle Board of Supervisors to discuss in good faith with Charlottesville the consolidation of services—thereby making better use of our tax dollars!

A Different Perspective on the School Board Budget

2008-03-05T08:29:00.000-08:00

Most likely, you've noticed that the local media has lately been taking much greater interest in the county budget discussions. Recently, the Daily Progress covered the school budget debate. Given relatively small enrollment growth, why is spending increasing so dramatically every single year?

Although there are certain clear reasons for why spending may need to increase above the current baseline (fuel prices, unfunded mandates, etc), a key question is- can our schools operate more efficiently so that the baseline could potentially be lowered?

This is not new ground. To see a wide array of options regarding how our schools could operate more efficiently, check out the Resource Utilization Study, recently completed on behalf of the School Board. After reading through it, you'll likely come to the conclusion that instead of automatically building cost increases on top of current spending, maybe we should be taking a closer look at how we're already spending existing funds.

Peter Wurzer Interviewed at Charlottesville News & Arts Weekly

2008-03-04T16:44:00.000-08:00

For those of you interested in learning a little more about Peter and his efforts through the Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance, check out this brief C-ville.com interview with him.

The Growing Tax Burden - DP

2008-03-04T15:11:00.000-08:00

Take some time to read this evening's editorial in the Daily Progress, which discusses how so many Albemarle County taxpayers have been squeezed by skrocketing county budgets.

The Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance is working for you, making sure local media outlets pay attention to the alarming increases in government spending in our county. If you haven't already, subscribe to these future updates by feed or email, and send us a note with your thoughts on these issues.

In Case You Missed It - Daily Progress Talks Budgets

2008-03-02T08:37:00.000-08:00

In case you missed it, yesterday the Daily Progress posted an extensive story covering the past and present issues with the county budget.

As you read through it, notice how effectively the Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance is driving the discussion. Yet we can't rely on free press coverage alone. To help us expand our efforts and spread our message to taxpayers through Albemarle County, please consider sending a contribution of any size, using our donation form. We're also always looking for people willing to volunteer their time and talents.

NEW VIDEO: Keith Drake Discusses 2008 Budget Cycle on NBC29's "Political Pulse"

2008-03-02T07:34:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week, NBC29 profiled the efforts of the Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance in this year's county budget cycle. Catch Keith Drake's interview with NBC29, where he discusses this year's county budget cycle and the Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance's efforts to make sure it's a successful budget cycle for county taxpayers.

In addition to the video, you can check out NBC29's news column on the subject.

Upcoming Events

2008-02-28T12:03:00.000-08:00

If the calendar does not appear correctly, press "F5" to refresh your browser.

Invest in ATTA

2008-02-28T11:41:00.000-08:00

By donating to ATTA, you are investing in the principle of limited government and fiscal soundness, two things we certainly need more of in Albemarle County.

ATTA is completely financed by your contributions. All staff members work on a volunteer basis, so your money goes directly towards making a difference in our community. Few organizations produce greater impact per contribution than ATTA does.

We are currently assessing the potential to accept donations online. In the meantime, if you'd like to donate to ATTA please download this form (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, download here if needed), and mail to the address indicated. Be sure to fill out all lines on the form before sending to ATTA.

We get the government we deserve. No one else is waiting to do OUR work. Join ATTA Today!

Volunteer with ATTA

2008-02-28T11:13:00.000-08:00

There's so much you can do to help. Here are just a few ways:

Contact your Supervisor- today. They do listen. Call them, write them, and email them. Tell them you won't tolerate one penny of tax increase unless it's justified.

Write a letter to the editor. People do read them. The more letters the newspaper receives, the more Albemarle taxpayers will know about how we can improve the budgeting process.

Join ATTA. The more members we have, the louder our voice is. Fill out the membership application today!

Tell your friends, neighbors, coworkers, church and club members about this site and pass them a copy of our newsletter. The more people that know, the more likely we'll get a more honest and respectful budgeting process. Need hard copies? Email us and we'll send you some.

Participate, Volunteer, Help Out. Send us your ideas, comments, suggestions - help with membership drives, fundraising, and mailings - contribute your special talents - there's no one else to do the work but us!

Contact ATTA

2008-02-28T10:39:00.000-08:00

Thank you for visiting our site, and we'd love to hear from you. Use the form below to contact us with any questions, comments, suggestions, or concerns you may have.

Invite ATTA to speak to your community event! ATTA is more than happy to make presentations to local community groups on the issues of county taxes and spending. If you're looking for a guest speaker on an issue of local importance, let us know.

About ATTA

2008-02-28T10:35:00.000-08:00

The Albemarle Truth in Taxation Alliance was formed in 2007 in response to the dramatically increasing property tax burdens felt by many county residents. Founded by Keith Drake and Christian Schoenewald, the organization has multiple board members, a dedicated research director who leads ATTA's Budget Watch Committee, and many volunteers and members who donate their time.

To learn more about ATTA, visit the links in navigation bar above, subscribe to updates by email or feed, and see how you can get involved. You can also review how ATTA was involved in the 2007 process here.

COMING SOON: pictures and brief biographies of ATTA's leadership team.

Town Hall Meeting Follow-Up

2008-02-27T20:36:00.000-08:00

Thanks again to everyone who attended our Town Hall meeting Monday evening. Many of you shared your perspectives on how you felt ATTA could be even more effective at spreading its message and helping you better understand how the county budget process works. Here's a list of enhancements we've made to the Research section since Monday's meeting:

Our Research section is now split between ATTA-created resources (newsletter, presentations, etc.) and external resources
You can now download the School Board's Resource Management Review
We've put up a guide on how to track down county Department organizational charts
The Virginia Constituent Viewpoint's hotline number has been posted, along with how to determine who your legislator is and what other methods are available to get in touch with him/her
We've posted a link to RichmondSunlight.com, a terrific resource for statewide legislative information
Details on where to find the county's past and present budgets are available
We've linked to where you can find ATTA's PAC disclosures in the public record (courtesy of the Virginia Public Access Project)
We will post Peter Wurzer's presentation from Monday in very short time, so subscribe to our updates either by feed or email to receive an update as soon as it's posted.

In addition, the contact form has been updated so you can fill in your address if you'd prefer to receive ATTA's publications by regular mail.

Thanks again for all your support and comments/suggestions. If you happened to miss our meeting or have other comments/suggestions to share, please contact us, we'd love to hear from you!

Welcome ATTA Town Hall Attendees!

2008-02-25T08:39:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who came out tonight to ATTA's Town Hall meeting. There's so much at stake in this year's budget cycle, and we need your enthusiasm and support to help make sure it's a successful budget cycle for Albemarle County taxpayers.

Since this is likely your first time visiting the site, take some time to look around. Be sure to sign up for ongoing updates so you will always know what events are coming up, when ATTA is in the news, when the latest newsletters and research are available, and many other benefits. You can receive email updates, subscribe in a feed reader, or bookmark us.

Note a few items as you browse our site:

Since this site is brand new, the "Search" functionality is still evolving. As the site grows, this functionality will greatly improve.
Past and current presentations to the Research section will be added soon.
Short biographies of ATTA's leadership team are coming shortly to the About page.
If you'd like to financially support ATTA's efforts, please do so now! We currently cannot accept donations online but are hoping to do so in the future. For now, all you have to do is complete the donation form and mail to the address indicated.
Please contact us with any questions, concerns, suggestions, or comments you have about ATTA, the website, or anything else.

Thanks for stopping by! We hope to see you at the Board of Supervisor's Public Budget Hearing #1, currently scheduled for March 5th at 6pm. View our calendar for a full schedule of events.

What Happened in 2007

2008-02-24T16:02:00.000-08:00

For those not familiar with ATTA's success in its inaugural year (2007), below you can find a handful of news articles outlining what issues were at stake that year, and how ATTA drove the public discussion:

3/8/07 - "County Tax Talk Heats Up", Daily Progress
3/20/07 - "GOP Wants Straight Answers", Daily Progress
4/5/07 - "Another Budget Outcry", Daily Progress
4/7/07 - "School's Community Program Challenged", C-ville
4/9/07 - "County Attacked for Tax Rate", C-ville