$500K cost for more school safety equipment, the diversity report, and more: THE AGENDA

STAUNTON — The ongoing saga of Valley Supportive Housing’s tax-exempt status may have a resolution after Thursday night.

Staunton City Council has scheduled a public hearing during its meeting Thursday night. Council has discussed the issues during its Aug. 24 and Sept. 28 work sessions.

Valley Supportive Housing works to provide affordable, safe housing to those with mental illness, intellectual disabilities or substance use disorders.

It had six properties being treated as exempt from taxes after the city’s assessor’s office erroneously granted the organization exemption from real property taxes in 2006.

The problem was found when Lou Siegel, the organization’s executive director, sent a letter to the assessor’s office in April requesting exempt status for six additional properties on St. Clair Street purchased in January as well as the lower portion of a property on Pump Street that is being converted from a commercial area to apartments.

Council agreed in September that Valley Supportive Housing wouldn't have to pay its back taxes, but the question of taxes going forward was still on the table.

Before council votes on the organization’s application for tax-exempt status Thursday night, the public will have a chance to tell council members how they feel about the issue.

City Manager Leslie Beauregard is recommending council deny the application, saying that the properties do not qualify for exempt status under Virginia Code.

It is true that Valley Supportive Housing doesn’t qualify based on classification, but at its August meeting council heard from City Attorney John Blair that it could vote to make the organization exempt by designation. Per city staff, the only tax exemption by designation request in recent history was denied by council in 2013.

Charley Haney, the city assessor, checked tax-exempt status of sample properties owned by Richmond-based Virginia Supportive Housing and found no examples of any of its properties receiving exemption.

The typical income of Valley Supportive Housing tenants is $829 a month and the typical rent for those residents is $500 for a one-bedroom apartment with utilities included, Siegel told council in August.

“These people have complex and difficult mental health issues and they struggle with incomes,” Siegel said.

Siegel has argued that his organization saves Staunton money by housing people who would otherwise be homeless.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, a chronically homeless person costs taxpayers an average of $35,578 per year. That cost is reduced, on average, by 49.5% when they are placed in supportive housing, that organization said.

If the exemption application is denied, the city could still help Valley Supportive Housing by finding a way through the budget to support the organization.

"Helping them in any way, whether it is through tax exempt status or through a budget allocation, is an investment in our community," council member Michele Edwards said at the Sept. 28 meeting. "I think they're right in saying that we save money by investing in their organization. It just comes down to how we plan to do it. I don't think anyone wants to not help, so it's deciding which way to go."

This week's meetings include the public hearing in Staunton City Council regarding the tax exempt status of Valley Supportive Housing; Waynesboro Board of Elections holds two meetings back to back on the upcoming election and training of election officers; the Augusta County Board of Supervisors staff briefing agenda includes items likely to come up in the regular board meeting — a report from Augusta County Fire-Rescue, and a discussion of the cost of outfitting all county schools with school safety equipment, at a cost of over half a million dollars.

Here are the public meetings between Tuesday, Oct. 24 and Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023:

Tuesday, Oct 24

SVASC Owners' Meeting, 2:00 p.m. A meeting of the Shenandoah Valley Animal Services Center Owners (Augusta County, Staunton and Waynesboro), at Government Center, Verona.

Historic Preservation Commission Meeting, 5:30 p.m. The agenda is online.

Augusta County Emergency Services Officers Association, 7:00 p.m. at Government Center.

Wednesday, Oct. 25

Staunton Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission Public Hearing, 6:00 p.m.

Augusta County Board of Supervisors Meeting, 7:00 p.m. at Government Center. The agenda for the Monday staff briefing is online and the regular meeting agenda is here.

Waynesboro Board of Elections, 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. The agenda is online.

Waynesboro Board of Elections, 6:00 p.m. Yes, it's back to back Electoral Board meetings. The agenda notes it's for training of officers of election.

Thursday, Oct. 26

Staunton Economic Development Authority (EDA) Meeting, 8:30 a.m. The agenda is online.

Staunton City Council Work Session, 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Staunton City Council Regular Meeting, 7:00 p.m. The agenda is online.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: $500K cost for more school safety equipment, the diversity report, and more: THE AGENDA