Author: tyler-deboard

The Charlottesville Regional Commerce released its compiled sales tax data today, which shows that total retail sales rose across the region in 2011.

Sales in the City of Charlottesville rose 6.33 percent and Albemarle County saw a .24 percent increase.

Louisa County saw the largest growth with a 21.07 percent increase in sales from 2010. Charlottesville and Albemarle, the region’s retail hub, accounted for $2.19 billion in retail sales over the full course of 2011, an increase of $61 million from 2010.

Despite significant gains in Charlottesville and Albemarle County, sales numbers are still seven percent lower than in 2007, the last year before the “Great Recession” and slow economic recovery began.

The gain in retail translates to a local tax revenue gain across the region, with over $600,000 in Charlottesville and Albemarle County combined. Greene and Louisa Counties saw growths of $269,000 and $229,000, respectively.
 

The University of Virginia ranked second in the Princeton Review’s "Best Value Colleges: 2012 Edition" released yesterday. 

The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill took the top spot among public colleges, a spot that UVA held for the past three years.

The editors at the Princeton Review surveyed administrators and students at 650 colleges and universities and made their ranking selections based on 30 factors in three main areas: academics, cost of attendance and financial aid.

The University’s AccessUVA financial aid program was cited as one of the main contributors to its high ranking.

“UVA has one of the largest per-capita endowments of any public school in the country and exerts a tremendous effort to ensure that its undergraduates have access to an affordable education regardless of economic circumstances,” according to the book.

“Students come to UVA because of the quality of our academic programs, but also because they can get a great education here without taking on extraordinary debt,” UVA President Teresa Sullivan told UVA Today.

The College of William & Mary also made the list as the number 6 among public universities.

Click here for the full rankings and more information.

Value assessment authorities in the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County are releasing the results of their annual reassessment of residential and commercial properties.

The total value of the city’s taxable property decreased by 1.22 percent, a reflection of national trends in a slow economy. Existing residential property declined in value by 3.08 percent, but commercial property increased in value by 0.84 percent.

Charlottesville Commissioner of Revenue Lee Richards encouraged residents to take advantage of existing financial assistance programs, including the Real Estate Tax Relief Program and the Charlottesville Housing and Affordability Program.

Recent assessments in Albemarle County reflect the “continued softening of the real estate market being experienced locally as well as nationwide,” according to a press release. The county’s total “Taxable Assessed Values” base declined by 3 percent, with residential properties reporting a decline of 3.05 percent. 

Each of the county’s seven magisterial districts showed decline in the past year, from 0.98 percent in the Rivanna district to 3.68 percent in that Jack Jouett district. The biggest decline, 4.52 percent, was registered in the Town of Scottsville. 

Reassessment notices for county residents will be mailed this week.
 

The City of Charlottesville has mailed 23,500 copies of the Citizen’s Budget surveys and made it available online to obtain residents’ feedback on spending as the budget season approaches.

Director of Communications Ric Barrick said the city is facing a $1 million budget gap while Charlottesville City Schools are preparing for a nearly $4 million shortfall.

The survey combines priority rankings and written statements and allows citizens to have a more direct and personal effect on local government.

“This is an important survey that our City Councilors depend on to make the best decision on where public monies should be allocated,” City Spokesperson Ric Barrick said in a press release. “We want to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to express their opinions before the 2012 budget goes officially before City Council.” Completed surveys must be submitted by tomorrow for consideration.

There will be a series of public feedback sessions in the spring and City Council will conduct a final vote on the budget in April. Click here for more information and the official press release. Official budget information can be found here.

The Charlottesville Police Department is spreading the word about two related burglaries in the Locust Meadows neighborhood. The burglaries took place on January 12 and 15, and are believed to be related.

According to the media release, two white males impersonated property surveyors and made contact with elderly residents. While one suspect made conversation, the other slipped into the home to browse the resident’s belongings. In those instances, the pair left with cash and jewelry. Both burglaries took place around noon in nearby locations; the residences are located less than one mile apart.

There have been six instances of burglary in the past 11 days, according to Charlottesville’s CrimeView site.

The Charlottesville Police Department urges that residents call the police if approached by an unknown person with whom they have made no previous arrangement for work.

Information can be reported to Detective Via at 970-3262 or to Crime Stoppers at 977-4000.

Assane Sene, UVA basketball’s 7′-tall Senegalese center, is recovering from an injury to his right ankle, and hopes to be back on the court in March.

Sene sustained the injury when he came down on an opponent’s foot during the January 19 win over Georgia Tech. Less than 24 hours later, UVA team doctor David Diduch performed a surgery to insert a plate and at least five screws into Sene’s ankle. Diduch told Cavalier Insider that fractures such as Sene’s typically heal within six weeks.

During the healing process, Sene’s presence on the court will be missed. He started in each of the 17 games before his injury and averaged 4.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. And with 93 blocks in his career, Sene is ranked 10th in UVA basketball history for tossing opponents’ shots.

“God gave us all different ways we are good. Abilities,” Sene told C-VILLE in December. “Like me, God gave me the abilities to block shots, rebound, run the floor, which a lot of people can’t do.”

The recovery timetable of six weeks would put Sene back on the court in time for the season’s final matchup with Maryland on March 4, and potentially ready for the ACC tournament, which starts on March 8.

Click here for C-VILLE’s cover story on Assane Sene.

Many of the polling stations in Charlottesville are underperforming on election day, despite public interest in a diverse array of issues.

Voters at the Recreation Center on Market Street emphasized the importance of issues like the city-county relationship, sustainable practices and funding for education.

Local resident Paul Wagner said his main interest lies in the school board election.

“I think the schools are facing large expenditures over the coming years, so I think it’s important that we have people on the school board who look carefully and represent our interest as parents and taxpayers,” he said.

One voter told C-VILLE, “Our country is in trouble. The parties don’t work together well enough. I’m an independent, but I feel like I’m going to vote Democratic throughout now.”

According to School board candidate Jennifer McKeever, the most important issue of the day is voter turnout.
“There’s no precinct right now that’s overperforming. Some are meeting expectations, but most are underperforming. It’s crucial because every vote will count in this election.”

For C-VILLE’s continuing election coverage, click here.