Price, Pyles square off to be Augusta County's commissioner of the revenue
VERONA — When Jean Shrewsbury announced last spring that she wouldn't seek reelection as Augusta County's commissioner of the revenue and would instead retire, that opened a position Shrewsbury had held since 1996.
George Price and Tracy Pyles filed to be on the ballot to replace Shrewsbury.
Price, currently the real estate manager for Augusta County, grew up on his family's dairy farm in Washington County.
"As one would guess, I have done every job there can be on a dairy farm — from growing and harvesting corn for silage, cutting and baling hay, to bottle-feeding calves and doing 4 a.m. milkings," Price said. "I understand the value of hard work, and I am a conservative. For our citizens, this means that I know that county money is more accurately taxpayer money. The people who have paid taxes are the ones who earned the money, and that money belongs to our citizens who have given it to their government in trust.
He said every leader in Augusta County, including the commissioner of the revenue, should bear that in mind when budgeting and spending that money.
"The physical beauty of Augusta County reminds me so much of my native Washington County," Price said. "And voters will know that it has been my great honor to make Augusta County my home."
Meanwhile, Pyles is a former member of the board of supervisors, serving from 1996 until he lost to Pam Carter in the Pastures District in 2017. Two years later he ran unsuccessfully to be Augusta County's clerk of court.
"I love Augusta County," Pyles said. "Every day on the Board of Supervisors was a labor of love. Holding the line on taxes while improving schools, parks, fire service, and rural roads brought tremendous satisfaction."
Pyles notes that he has not always been universally embraced by Augusta County residents, saying he understood that.
"It is said, the nail that stands up gets hammered," Pyles said. "It is part and parcel of public service. But when weighing my candidacy I hope there is a full evaluation of my time as supervisor."
Pyles said his work ethic and inability to accept half-hearted efforts, "means you will be hiring a darn good employee."
Below are some questions The News Leader sent each candidate along with their responses.
What do you see as the primary role of the Commissioner of the Revenue?
PRICE
The Board of Supervisors establishes the tax policies for the county and sets the tax rates. It is the commissioner who implements those policies by determining what property is taxable and assessing the value of the property.
This job is essential to both county government and to taxpayers. I believe that in this role, of primary importance is being fair and conscientious in serving the public. Of equal importance to taxpayers of having their property valued fairly is that the commissioner provide protection of confidential taxpayer information.
PYLES
The commissioner of revenue is a constitutionally created office. Separating this office from board of supervisor control, is the intention. All levels of government require checks and balances as protection from abusive government actions.
The commissioner of revenue, while holding to independence, must be accurate and timely in its deliverables to the supervisors. The deadline for providing the assessments is early March when supervisors set tax rates for the annual budget.
What qualifies you to serve as Augusta County's Commissioner of the Revenue?
PRICE
My education, training, and experience qualifies me to serve in the position of commissioner. I earned a B.A. from the University of Virginia in history and a J.D. from the University of Kentucky.
As real estate manager for the Augusta County commissioner’s office, I often draw upon my legal education, but that education has been enhanced by on-the-job learning and training. While working in the Washington County commissioner’s office, I earned all the professional training credits required to become a master deputy commissioner of the revenue.
Previously working as chief deputy commissioner of the revenue in Washington County and as real estate manager for the commissioner of the revenue here in Augusta County has given me invaluable experience in performing the functions of the commissioner’s office. Having already served the public in these supervisory positions means that I have successfully carried out many of the duties of the office that I seek.
In fact, I have even temporarily fulfilled the role of Ccmmissioner in the place of the elected commissioner in Washington County during the pandemic when he contracted Covid and was unable to work during his lengthy illness. As the current real estate manager for the commissioner of the revenue, it is my privilege to be serving in an office that consistently strives to run effectively and efficiently for the citizens of Augusta County.
PYLES
At Madison College, so many years ago, I received my B.S. in political science. My military service reinforced a commitment to country over self, and in this case county over self. My 40 years in logistics and purchasing for a variety of manufacturing companies — furniture, textile, baby formula and blade making — required an annual forecasting for raw materials. In that role my projections needed an accuracy within a very narrow range. Over costing meant an over-priced, less competitive product. Under costing meant profit losses when the actual bills rolled in. The analysis in those preparations included currency, crude oil, metal, paper and inflation projections. It is then simple stuff to project revenue on fixed evaluations and historical trends.
For 22 years I served on the board of supervisors, three times as chairman. In those years tax rates were held essentially in check. Real estate taxes were never above the inherited $.58. We did increase the personal property tax to offset the end of the car decal fee. (It was actually at that time a tax cut) We held the line on the rest. And yet we were very successful in moving the county forward without punishing taxpayers.
It is this understanding of all aspects of county business that enhances my qualifications for this position. The job is not particularly demanding. Both of the main revenue assessments (real estate and vehicles) are outsourced. Processing forms, following the law, collecting data are not so different from my work in other businesses. As a staff manager I will lead by asking for staff input and encouraging initiative.
My nature is to push for better results. In my 4-H days we were challenged “To Make the Best Better”. I hold to that, we can always improve but not unless we try.
What are the most important issues facing this office and how do you plan to address them?
PRICE
The most important issue facing this office is the need to improve services for our citizens by enabling them to do more of their business with this office by computer if they wish to do so. This can save taxpayers time and money and can save resources used to print, mail, and return documentation, for example, while increasing accessibility to our office. Converting the commissioner’s office to a new software system will do just that, and the project is well underway, born of our listening to taxpayer requests and suggestions.
We have been working with the Augusta County IT department and county administration to select a software system to recommend to the board of supervisors. Software conversion will be challenging, but we are very excited to be able to improve service and expand options for taxpayers. In this way, the Commissioner’s office can continue to provide effective in-person service for every person who wishes to visit the office, and to use paper communications, if preferred, but it can also upgrade and increase efficiency.
PYLES
Three issues need immediate attention:
The cost of this office, including the outsourcing of real estate reassessments and the internal operational costs, are unacceptable. In five years the cost for appraisals went from $800,000 to $1,600,000. The office budget from $800,000 to $1,200,000 in the same five years.
The present relationship between the commissioner and the board of supervisor is problematic. On one hand the office has continually failed to provide timely assessment of vehicle values. As of this Sept. 19, the commissioner had not provided an update of car values since August 2022. The expectation was values would fall. Left as is last year’s values will mean an 8% increase from last year’s historic tax abuse. If the office does a last minute assessment, it means the budget forecast had no meaningful relationship to a fluid reality.
But just as damaging was the commissioner relinquishing the main reason for the office’s creation: independence from the board of supervisors. What was stated as the commissioner's decision to lower car values by 8% was not hers. It was directly, almost to the penny, from the county administrator at the direction of the board of supervisors. Other Virginia commissioners were dropping assessments by 25% to 30% — to match revenue with projections. That would have been 30% for us. Had I been commissioner that would have been the number.
Initiative. The commissioner of revenue needs to be a better manager of tax resources. Things like whether to insource or outsource real estate assessments needs continual review. Are there areas where a particular tax receipt is significantly diminished by the cost to collect? Paying people to collect a tax, takes taxes.
My addressing of the problems:
The doubling of the cost to outsource real estate appraisals is caused by a limited market of providers. We can continue to blame conditions outside our control for massive cost increases or we can take control with in-house reassessments. My goal would be to cut the net appraisal cost in half, saving $160,000 annually. The other half would be used to beef up the commissioner’s office, sufficient to maintain a staff of 20-25. Making the process a continual focus, not a last minute, hurried blast of activity will improve accuracy.
Closer interaction with community development and Augusta County Fire fosters real time updates to changing property values. Staying abreast of market values based on comparable sales by size, location, and type will take an in-house professional and the latest in computer programming. This, plus potential cost saving in making the office more efficient should go far in improving the cost of this office.
To make the office both helpful and independent, as commissioner I will advance official revenue projections in March for supervisor budgeting. This will have the benefit of honest, independent, calculations by the office constitutionally designated for this purpose. Presently the supervisors continually, intentionally it seems, underestimate revenue. With their lower expectations they can justify more taxes or the denial of needed spending. If they refuse to use the official numbers, the public can assess their rationales and the eventual realities.
Augusta County Supervisors have forgotten the needs of our workers, our retirees, their chain of command bosses. Lowering the cost of the office by bringing appraisals in house is a start. But more is needed. The “car tax” has become unbearable and needs an overhaul. For one thing it is due at the same time as the second half of real estate taxes. Taking upwards of $50 million out of county pockets every December is not just Scrooge on steroids, but harmful to folks close on Vfunds and the local economy.
Moving the due date from Dec. 6 to say March 6 gives folks more time to gather their funds. (If done for FY2025, there will be no car tax in calendar 2024)
And I propose replacing the Personal Property Tax with a $100 flat tax. This is an approximate $10 million tax cut. This is not a hit on existing and growing tax needs. It is only a hit to surplus taxes that have grown from an annual $12 to $14 million to $24 and $25 million.
Reducing surplus has the same impact as any of us working off an unneeded 20 pounds. We become healthier. The supervisors will become better at spending when not rolling in fluffy tax dollars.
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— Patrick Hite is a reporter at The News Leader. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Price, Pyles square off to be Augusta County's commissioner of the revenue
