Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

It’s not easy developing a budget right now for Cumberland County or any rural community. County staff detailed the situation, as well as what’s being done to recruit new business, during a town hall meeting held on Tuesday, Sept. 24. 

The meeting had been set up to have communication with residents, to both explain what the county staff is doing and answer any questions residents might have. And the Cumberland economy was a recurring theme, both from the county’s perspective and in questions asked. 

Cumberland County Administrator Derek Stamey warned that not everything people want may make it into the final version of the budget this coming year. 

“We are going to have ongoing challenges as we work through the budget,” Stamey said, adding that the process starts in October. “We’re working with limited resources, (while) inflation and the cost of doing business is only going to rise.”  

The same goes for education costs, Stamey said, pointing out that Cumberland County Public Schools is both one of the biggest employers in the county and the biggest item in the yearly budget. He also pointed out that the county can’t postpone repairs and replacements for its aging infrastructure forever. At some point, new buildings will be needed. And then there are the requirements handed down by the state. 

“We also have unfunded mandates that impact county services,” Stamey said. “A lot of things we have to spend money on, we don’t have a choice. We’re told by the state, the Commonwealth of Virginia, that we have to meet certain requirements.” 

With all that in mind, Stamey just cautioned that the county staff is doing all they can to keep taxes low and still both maintain infrastructure and provide services. 

What about Cumberland County taxes? 

There was also a caution for residents. The number on the real estate tax rate may look lower, but the bill itself won’t be. Due to significant increases in property value, most people in Cumberland County will end up paying the same this year, if not more, in some cases. 

Earlier this year, supervisors approved a real estate tax rate of 60 cents per $100 of assessed value. That’s a dramatic drop from the previous 75 cent rate, but due to property reassessments and transferring money from the reserves, revenue will remain close to the same. The reality is since the last reassessment four years ago, property values in Cumberland have spiked by 30%. At the same time, as many other areas have experienced, the cost of doing business, as Stamey said, that is the cost of everything from a new ambulance to needed sewer line repairs, has gone up. 

So how do you balance that, to make things easier on residents? You need some new businesses. While the Cumberland comprehensive plan was being developed, residents filled out surveys to share their thoughts. Residents kept talking about how they go to Goochland County to shop or take part in events. Others in central Cumberland head over to Powhatan to get their shopping done, while some folks in Randolph say they actually think of themselves more as members of the Farmville community than Cumberland. 

About the business task force

That’s why the county launched its new business task force, a seven-person group that’s focusing on drawing tourism as one of their main points, Stamey said. County staff have also applied for grant money to help develop a strategic plan, specific to agricultural businesses. 

“We want to bring in businesses that enhance our already strong agricultural identity,” Stamey told the group on Tuesday. “We don’t want to develop into something that we’re not.” 

Stamey said the task force is also looking at workforce development, identifying what’s needed and who the county can partner with to help train residents. 

“We have to make sure that we’re developing the folks here that are available for businesses that want to come into the county,” Stamey said. “We have to make sure we have the workers here.”