BEDFORD — Town of Bedford residents can expect their real estate tax rate to remain the same in the upcoming fiscal year that begins July 1.
Bedford Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday to keep the town’s tax rate at 28 cents per $100 of real estate value, the same as the current rate. Council also held a public hearing Tuesday on other measures that included consideration of an additional $20 vehicle license fee and a possible change to the Business Professional and Occupational License in 2025.
The current BPOL tax is 10 cents per $100 gross receipts for retail businesses exceeding $3 million per year. Council is considering dropping the threshold to $2 million per year, but Black said that is still under discussion and a decision hasn’t been reached.
Nancy Leighton, a town resident, was the only citizen to speak during Tuesday’s hearing. She said residents are being “priced out” with soaring gas prices and other costs rising.
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“We are slowly being strangled. I understand that budgets are tight in town, but they are also tight for our retirees and people on fixed income,” Leighton said.
Leighton said she has a friend who is considering leaving the country because that person’s pension cannot keep up with rising costs.
Town Manager Bart Warner said the town’s real estate assessment recently increased 1% primarily because of new construction.
The total increase was $8.4 million and $4.8 million was due to new construction, according to Warner. The tax revenue from that figure, without changing the real estate tax rate, is $23,679, Warner’s report states.
Bedford County’s real estate tax rate of 41 cents per $100 assessed value will also stay the same in fiscal year 2025, the county board of supervisors unanimously decided Monday.
Council also approved a 100% personal property tax relief rate for fiscal year 2024-25.
“We were able to keep that intact this year,” Black said. “That’s a good thing for citizens to continue to provide that extra relief.”
In a separate matter, Black addressed a town resident’s complaint on a recent decision by the town police chief, Ronnie Lewis, to no longer have “In God We Trust” wording on police vehicles. Councilor Robert Carson said some residents asked him to remove the wording.
“His decision wasn’t made lightly,” Carson said.
Black said he has thought about the issue and spoke with Lewis, Warner, the town attorney and all six other council members. The town never had an official policy requiring the wording on police vehicles and council agreed not to institute a new policy overriding the chief’s decision.
“I’ve been a Christian my whole life. I trust in God,” Black said. “But our police department is here to serve every citizen in this community, whether they’re Christian, Jewish, Muslim, a non-believer, it doesn’t matter. They are here to protect and serve every single one of them. For us to sit up here and overrule a decision we give to our department heads to make, that is really not our role.”
Black said the town government procedures include department heads reporting to the town manager, who reports directly to council.
“I’ve got the utmost trust and respect for Chief Lewis for the job he is doing for our community,” Black said.
Black said town police officers show “Christian compassion and love” on a daily basis, stating a recent example where a woman was released from jail and was homeless, and an officer secured her some food and shelter. Town police also on a regular basis do all they can to help citizens overdosing on narcotics, Black said.
“It’s example after example, day after day, whether ‘In God We Trust’ is on that police car or not, that is what’s happening in this community,” Black said. “I know the character of that department and the chief is doing everything he can to serve every citizen in this community.”
Vice Mayor C.G. Stanley, who is retired, said one of his jobs while employed was inspecting the vehicle fleet to make sure no religious or political statements were on them.
Black said unless any other councilor brings it up the matter is considered closed.
Justin Faulconer, (434) 473-2607