Waynesboro City Council hears from residents on lowered tax rate

WAYNESBORO, Va. (WHSV) - Right now the tax rates sit at 90 cents in Waynesboro.

The city of Waynesboro said the total assessed value of all real property increased by 23.4% over 2022.

Waynesboro City Manager, Michael Hamp, said 74 cents on the 100 is the number city staff got after doing the general reassessment.

He said this number, if proposed and approved, would levy the same amount of real estate tax as the previous year.

“The calculation on the equalized or lowered tax rate. the council is still working through a process at which they’ll identify a new proposed tax rate,” Hamp said at Monday’s City Council meeting.

Many residents feel the uptick in assessment and tax prices will push people out of the city.

“I often think about moving out of Waynesboro but it’d be so difficult for me to do that. I’ve loved so much here we’ve enjoyed so much here me and my family,” Alfred, a Waynesboro resident said.

As affordable housing has been a topic of interest for many residents in Waynesboro, speakers at the public hearing brought up how the tax rate could impact the affordability of those places.

“If our tax rates go up then that means we have to raise our rents and that’s gonna affect you know everybody that’s a landlord is gonna have to raise their rents that’s gonna push all the rent rates up and how are we gonna have affordable housing?” Sheila, a Waynesboro resident said.

Some mentioned Waynesboro being a place to retire, but they said they would need additional assistance to remain on a fixed income with rising rates.

“It just seems like well there’s more housing developments there should be more money from property taxes but you know the services and it just seems like every year I come to the board and the funding Waynesboro still doesn’t have the money,” Andrea, a Waynesboro resident said.

Monday was the first public hearing about the tax rates in the city of Waynesboro.

City staff and council are still going through the budget.

Once a final rate is set another public hearing will be held on the actual rate.