Will Staunton move forward with a sales tax? What is a temporary building in Waynesboro? THE AGENDA

Lyra Bordelon, Staunton News Leader
·6 min read

Could Staunton get a sales tax?

Staunton City Council has a sales tax on the mind.

According to the agenda packet, a resolution suggests Staunton is interested in pursuing a 1% sales tax to fund school infrastructure.

If this resolution is approved, don't expect to start paying a sales tax the next day, or even next year. This resolution is just one of many steps before a sales tax could be implemented.

If the resolution is approved, council would be asking the Virginia General Assembly to allow localities like Staunton to ask voters to approve or deny implementing a 1% sales tax to fund "school construction or renovation projects."

This means the council would be asking permission from the legislature to ask permission from the voters to add a 1% sales tax.

"The Council of the City of Staunton hereby supports Senate Bill 14 and House Bill 805," reads the resolution.

According to the taxes page on Staunton's website, the city currently only has the 5.3% state sales tax in place.

CAPSAW community's needs assessed

Community Action Program Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro's (CAPSAW) has received preliminary results from the fall 2023 Community Needs Assessment. Beginning on page 37 in the agenda packet, the top five reported needs from the assessment included housing, mental health services, transportation, childcare, and aging services.

A sample of the CAPSAW Community Needs Assessment preliminary results.
A sample of the CAPSAW Community Needs Assessment preliminary results.

Staunton and her potential German sister

Bruce Fox of Gersthofen, Germany, asked Staunton City Council to consider a sisterhood between the two cities. Accord to council's agenda packet, Fox was involved with a community band form the German town that performed a combined concert with Staunton's Stonewall Brigade Band.

Staunton City Council will hear about what a Sister City partnership with Gersthofen could do for the city from Fred Blanton with Sister Cities International during its working session meeting.

According to Sister Cities International's website, the organization was founded by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1956 "to bring peace through people-to-people diplomacy."

Staunton water and sewer funds to be reviewed

During the Staunton City Council working session meeting, "Chief Finance Officer Jessie Moyers will present a review the water and sewer funds, including a rate analysis, operating expenditures review, and planned capital improvements for each fund."

CAPSAW to consider funding requests

In addition to the assessment results, CAPSAW will also consider grant applications. The three applicants requested funds for three projects:

  • The River City Breadbasket and LIFEworks could receive $2,000 towards the ongoing free, "low-barrier" food pantry. According to the application in the agenda packet, the food pantry receives over 300 visitors a month.

  • Waynesboro Area Refuge Ministry (WARM) could receive around $2,000 for a "second, multi-passenger van and cargo trailer" for the cold weather shelter. According to the application, "WARM received a grant to double the amount of capacity from 35 to 70 beds at the cold weather shelter for the 2023-24 season." The awarded grant funds could not be used for transportation costs. The project's total cost is $33,500.

  • Augusta Regional Dental Clinic could receive around $2,000 for a reclining device for wheelchair-bound patients to receive dental treatment. In summer 2023, the clinic had to send three patients home because they could not be moved to the clinic's dental chairs, according to the application.

New zoning changes in Waynesboro

The Waynesboro Planning Commission will consider new zoning ordinance changes prompted by issues discovered by staff and the board during regular business.

The zoning amendments, listed on page 27 of the agenda packet, include:

  • Sec. 98-4.2.5. Townhouses. "This change will allow for the driveway to count as a required parking space."

  • Sec. 98-5.1.3 Parking Requirements. "This will add a new category for Townhouses under Household living in the table and require 2 spaces per unit and either 0.25 or 0.5 spaces per unit for guest parking."

  • Sec. 98-5.4.7. Parking Lot Landscaping Requirements. "Staff has revised the proposed amendment to permit for more flexibility in the options available to provide screening for parking lots adjacent to residential districts."

  • Sec. 98-4.6.2. Accessory buildings. "The amendment will clarify that the accessory buildings section of the ordinance also includes accessory structures."

  • Sec. 98-4.4.11 Temporary Special Events. "This amendment would fix an error that occurred when this ordinance was created in late 2022. A temporary structure, according to the Virginia Statewide Building Code, are those that are erected 179 days or less. Permanent structures are those that are erected for 180 days or more."

If recommended by the planning commission, the changes would next to before the Waynesboro City Council.

Meetings List

These are the public meetings for Tuesday, Feb. 20, through Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024:

Tuesday, Feb. 20

Wednesday, Feb. 21

Thursday, Feb. 22

Monday, Feb. 26

  • Augusta County Board of Supervisors Staff Briefing 1:30 p.m. Augusta County Government Center, 18 Government Center Lane, Verona.

  • Staunton City School Board Work Session 5 p.m. School Board Conference Room, Staunton City Hall, 116 W. Beverley Street. The agenda is online.

  • Waynesboro City Council Meeting 7 p.m. Waynesboro City Council Chambers, 503 W Main Street.

Tuesday, Feb. 27

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Staunton sales tax, Waynesboro temp buildings, and SAW community needs: THE AGENDA