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Members of the Virginia logging industry want Buckingham County to give them a tax break. Specifically, the Virginia Loggers Association want to be exempt from personal property, machinery and tools taxes on forest harvesting equipment. Supervisors meanwhile say they’re willing to have discussions, but can’t promise cuts from a budget already stretched thin. 

Ron Jenkins, the Loggers Association’s executive director, made the request during the Monday, June 9 meeting of the Buckingham supervisors. He argued that times are hard right now and the Buckingham loggers need a break. 

“Everything has doubled and tripled in price. It would almost be impossible for a new person to even get started unless they have some kind of backing,” Jenkins said. “Would you please exempt this tax on them and let them get some freedom so they can get back on their feet?”

Logging markets are terrible right now, Jenkins said, 

The data backs that up. A May report from Virginia Realtors shows a declining home sale market in most of this region. Fewer sales means a buildup in inventory and less of a need for new construction. Fewer new homes means less lumber needed. And the Virginia logging industry is still navigating the shifting tariff situation. Overall, international sales for U.S. lumber are mixed, with some markets showing growth and others experiencing declines. The current data projects growth for international lumber sales by 2027, but that’s still two years away and there’s no guarantee this region will see that growth. 

“Markets are terrible right now,” Jenkins said. “We’re losing market share every day. We’re trying to get the governor’s office to actually work on markets but it may be a long time coming.” 

Virginia logging industry asks for help 

With so much uncertainty, Jenkins asked supervisors for some help. Back in 2020, the General Assembly gave counties the ability to exempt loggers from personal property and machinery taxes. To date, 17 counties and cities in Virginia have agreed to do that. Some of those include Goochland, Fluvanna and Campbell counties. 

“What you’re giving up today (in tax revenue) is an investment for the future,” Jenkins argued. 

The problem, Buckingham supervisors pointed out, is twofold. First, they said this was bad timing. The county budget has already been approved and goes into effect in a few weeks. That doesn’t really give much time to make any changes. Second, where would the money come from? 

“When you take money away from a county budget, then that money has to be made up somewhere else,” Supervisor Michael Palmore said. “I’m all about giving anybody a tax break. I’d love to have one myself. I pay taxes just like everybody else. (But) when you give that tax break, that tax break comes out of the budget.” 

That would mean taking money away from some department or operation that’s already been told to allocate a certain amount of local funding into their own budget. How does it make sense, Palmore asked, to then turn around and take some of that money back, in order to give another group a tax break? 

“That money supports the sheriff’s office, it supports EMS, the schools, it even supports county employees salaries. What we’re saying as a board is we need to look at it and see how it’s going to impact our county budget, our local revenue,” Palmore said. “We can’t put ourselves in a financial bind as far as the budget goes. We can’t just jump up and say yeah we’re gonna change it. If we do that, we’re gonna blow the budget out of the water.” 

About the budget

And that budget is stretched thin as it is. Coming in at $72.434 million, on the plus side, supervisors were able to manage so that there’s no tax increase this year. But Buckingham schools had to make some cuts in order to balance their portion and other departments this spring have been figuring out just how few employees they can operate with. 

To look at a budget cut now, instead of during the January through March budget season, would mean taking back some of what’s already been allocated. 

Virginia logging industry on a county committee?

Supervisors Chairman Joe Chambers and Supervisor Cameron Gilliam both proposed forming a committee, consisting of several members of the Virginia logging industry, a handful of county supervisors and county staff. That way, they can come to an agreement on how Buckingham can help the logging industry. Some of the loggers in attendance Monday complained, arguing that they had already gone through this with another county supervisor, someone who they couldn’t remember his name but who had promised to look into it. 

They never heard back from that supervisor at all and the loggers confirmed it wasn’t anyone on the current board. Instead of a committee, some loggers wanted to see action taken immediately. Chambers pointed out that couldn’t happen. 

“Changing it in the middle of the year, the budget for 2025 has already been adopted,” Chambers said. “I’m not going to promise you I’m going to vote for something next month and pass something. I can’t do that. I don’t think any board member can do that either. You’ve got a process you’ve got to go through.” 

Chambers and Palmore also pointed out that you can’t compare Buckingham with Madison County or Charlottesville. Look at their tax rates and then look at Buckingham, the men said. These other areas also have more stores and restaurants, to help balance out so that the budget doesn’t rely as much on housing taxes or fees. 

“We don’t have universities, we don’t have Walmart,” Palmore said. “Our tax base is mainly based on the people of Buckingham. Personal property tax, real estate tax, that’s where all of our revenue comes from. In order for the county to operate and function without doing away with things I deem very important, you have to have those entities in the county to keep the county going forward. We got to sit down and talk numbers.” 

Don’t point fingers

As mentioned, the current proposal on the table would involve a committee of three supervisors and at least two loggers discussing with county staff about how the county can help. Also, supervisors wanted staff members on hand, to be able to discuss what kind of impact any changes would have on the county budget. There also doesn’t need to be any continued finger pointing as to who loggers previously spoke with, he added. 

“I’m saying we need to sit down and work it out together,” Chambers said. “We don’t need to be pointing fingers, it won’t get anything done.”

Nothing was agreed to by the end of Monday’s meeting.