Southside Group in Opposition of Storm Water Utility Tax is Organizing
Posted on March 6, 2010 by Shennen | 8 Comments
The following has been submitted to us by a group of homeowners, business owners, and church members along Broad Rock Blvd. in the annexed area of Richmond. The opinions expressed here do not necessarily represent the opinions or views of the owners, writers, or supporters of www.SouthsideRichmond.org, but as this is community news it is being published for the benefit of the community:
Citizens of Richmond,
We are addressing the Storm Water Utility tax passed on to Richmonders by city council and our mayor in May, 2009, an unfunded mandate from the EPA, DEQ, etc.
All stakeholders, meaning everyone affected by the tax, are invited to attend a meeting on March 15, at 6:30 at the Second Baptist Church, on 3300 Broad Rock Blvd. (The old Winn-Dixie)
We have a simple Plan A Part 1, Plan A Part 2, and Plan B.
Plan A Part 1. We want an apology from mayor, city council and “city hall” for the sloppy, disrespectful handling of this Storm Water Utility Fee (*) billing. Bills sent out first of Nov. and due on the 24th.
Plan A Part 2. Petition for redress to abolish and/or repeal this grievous burden on our family budgets, church funds, and business enterprises. Our petition is to be presented, en masse, to the city council at the meeting at city hall on the 22nd of March at 6:00pm.
Two churches with NOAH taxes (rain water) of $6700 & $8400 are forced to choose between a part time youth minister, Food Pantry, Clothes Rack, Fuel Assistance and other outreach programs or to pay the tax. A business with a $12,000 property assessment has been hit with a $10,083 Storm Water bill. This is considered confiscation of property by taxation. The average $45 to $70 tax on a household is equal to an excellent Thanksgiving dinner. If we are not mistaken, the tax bill is due on the 24th of November.
PLAN B. Revision of a November 2nd ballot referendum to send a message to Washington, D.C. about unfunded mandates. We invite city council and mayor Dwight Jones to join us in a up/down vote on this unfunded mandate imposed on We the People. And to send this message to the alphabet soup suits of the DEA, EPA, etc., who have tried to impose their will upon us thru this tax burden.
It may be a fee at city hall…..in their house. In God’s house we call this tax on God’s rain water, THE NOAH TAX. And we expect a refund during a drought.
The three most important words in our body politic: We the people…
-Declaration of IndependenceThe second five most important: Congress shall pass no law…
-U.S. Constitution
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8 Responses to “Southside Group in Opposition of Storm Water Utility Tax is Organizing”
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March 6th, 2010 @ 3:28 am
This is a fee because rain falls on everyone and everyone, including VCU and the churches, bears responsibility for how the water is cared for.
This bellyaching and whining is taking God’s name in vain if you ask me.
I really think these churches need to examine the issue of stewardship. Mankind needs to take better care of this wonderful earth that God has created. Virginia’s rivers and streams are in bad condition due to runoff, and in turn the Chesapeake Bay and oceans are dying.
What are the churches and their members doing to take responsibility for their runoff? Are they installing rain barrels off of their gutters? Planting more trees and vegetation? Replacing their asphalt parking lots with green pavers? These are things my neighbors and I are doing and we expect churches and businesses to do the same.
March 6th, 2010 @ 9:16 am
While I respect this group’s opinion, they are approaching this all wrong. All the city is doing is complying with the Federal Gov’t. If you don’t like the fees you should be starting with PLAN B. Also, in making your anger known to Warner, Webb, and the House Reps.
March 8th, 2010 @ 9:00 pm
Never for a second doubt that the power to tax is the power to destroy.
March 13th, 2010 @ 1:24 pm
[...] following was forwarded to me and wanted to share with the community. Southside Richmond has the full text of the letter including their demands, which include an apology form the mayor, [...]
March 14th, 2010 @ 9:13 pm
Just so I’m clear on this.
If the area churches can avoid this fee, it will raise our real estate taxes by 4.5 percent.
Are all the non-church business private property owners here willing to take on that extra economic burden so the churches can get a free ride?
Or, is it the intent of the religious leaders that NO one should have to pay this fee?
March 16th, 2010 @ 4:37 pm
Do you really think that Churches should pay $6,000.00 a year for this fee?
thats how much Branches Church is having to shell out, if this happens Churches could close, then where will you get the money? tvnewsbadge you are wrong if enough people say enough is enough we are sick of the high taxes in Richmond, and start putting the Mayor and council
people feet to the fire, maybe just maybe they would stop throwing money away and use our money more carefully,
I would think with homes going up so high several years ago they would have have plenty of money. My house doubled in value driving my real estate taxes very high, they still are high considering the area I live in, I have
4 houses on my block, that have been on the market for over a year, one house sold for $250,000.00 a couple years ago now can’t be sold for 90,000.00!!
March 23rd, 2010 @ 11:14 pm
A 12,000 dollar property with $10,000 dollars worth of fees? Where is this terrible piece of earth located?
Rather than wasting a lot of hot air, time, and money, go rent a jackhammer and break up your unused parking lot. Then call the Department of Forestry, they’ll give you some young trees to plant for free.
April 20th, 2010 @ 9:37 am
Thoughts on the issue.
The fees/costs will be paid by someone, if the church orgs are able to avoid paying the fee those costs will be knowingly shifted to the public at large, talk about a failed conscience model !
For the mayor (long time church leader) to give the church orgs a break on the fee would be political suicide (nepotism) and its hard to escape the politics, chances are slim the churches will be able to escape the fee. Time to rethink the church response to fees.
With all the time/energy flowing into this fight maybe the church orgs could redirect some of the time/energy into planting a tree, making a water garden or taking on some projects that would result in a “credit”, ie reduced storm water fee. The possibility of reducing the fee 20% -35% (annually) doesnt seem like a bad deal given the very likey possibility of future rate increases.
Come on churches band together to protect/improve this gift from GOD, Earth.