Lloyd Banks

Independent candidate

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing Cumberland and how do you intend to address it?

The biggest challenge facing Cumberland is the excessive debt that has brought about the huge real estate tax burden upon property owners. This has generated a real estate tax burden in Cumberland that is nearly 50 percent higher than our neighbors in Buckingham and Prince Edward. The solution is to avoid any new debt and to live within modest means so as to also avoid any further tax increases. This has been my

commitment for the entire four years on the board resulting in a reduction in county debt by nearly 20 percent while being an outspoken advocate for not raising taxes.

What steps should the county take to attract more jobs and businesses to Cumberland?

For four years the county has had an open-door policy towards new business. During this period the board approved a reduced tax scale for new businesses, approved greater flexibility in the signs that businesses could display, approved several requests for zoning changes to commercial use and aggressively pursued external grant funding to encourage new business. Unfortunately the current economy has been stagnant for many years and few rural localities have experienced meaningful development. In lean times budgeting and spending wisely, minimizing needless regulations and networking with regional economic authorities, state legislators and small business owners must remain a priority.

3. With potential budgetary increases, how do you plan on keeping Cumberland’s real estate tax rate stable in the upcoming budget cycles?

I am a professional budget administrator at the University of Virginia, I hold a master’s degree in business administration and bring 20 years of financial management experience with the federal government. I can affirm with 100 percent confidence Cumberland does not have a revenue problem. The foundation for our huge debt and excessive tax rates is overspending.  The primary pressure upon our budget is an interest in expenses we simply can’t afford. The solution is to live within our means! Without question, we desperately need those with professional experience and an unwavering commitment to taxpayers overseeing county government.

4. Does the amount of debt Cumberland County has concern you?

My basis for running in 2011 was ballooning debt of approximately $50 million that consumed 47-cents of every dollar collected in real estate tax. With 25-plus years of finance management experience, as supervisor I began evaluating our debt portfolio. I advocated for aggressive payoffs and refinancing debts with the highest rates. A shocking revelation was our debt ratio was so excessive, only one lender would risk our refinancing. In four years my efforts have resulted in taxpayer savings of over a million dollars in pending interest payments and overall debt reduction of nearly 20 percent. This momentum has to continue.

Tim Kennell — independent candidate

1. What do you think is the biggest challenge facing Cumberland and how do you intend to address it?

The biggest challenge is to find new businesses to shore up revenues. The first step is “boots on the ground.” If county budgets dictate that community development budgets are small or eliminated, county officials have to get out of the courthouse to bring the businesses to Cumberland. This is not happening today. The “golden goose” is not likely to fly over us and “lay golden eggs.” I will go outside of Cumberland and work with neighboring counties to help solve each other’s problems. Virginia Association of Counties and the [Commonwealth Regional Council] are a must that we as supervisors must participate [in].

2. What steps should the county take to attract more jobs and businesses to Cumberland?

First, we must be ready and able to accept new businesses. We must create an easy path for them to locate here. We must ease zoning restrictions and be ready to offer tax incentives and get personally involved to help them overcome basic governmental processes to locate here.  We must all walk, talk, invite, preach and breathe the benefits of doing business here. We cannot wait to have businesses contact us. We have to get out of Cumberland, participate in local business organizations and promote outside interests to check us out.

3. With potential budgetary increases, how do you plan on keeping Cumberland’s real estate tax rate stable in the upcoming budget cycles?

We must live within our budget, but we cannot close the county. The answer is “don’t spend what you don’t have.” Find new revenue sources other than taxation to lower the debt. Tourism and new businesses are our budget long-term solution. Plan for and say “yes” to new businesses. Celebrate our two state parks, state forest and Civil and Revolutionary War history. We have hiking trails, lakes and cabins in our state park. We need to build hiking trails that connect the courthouse to Bear Creek. We need to think outside the box to fix our problems, not just complain about them. Everyone in the courthouse needs to be enthusiastic and get involved.

4. Does the amount of debt Cumberland County has concern you?

County debt in a community our size matters. Our current debt stifles our ability to develop, however; our current debt cannot stop us from progressing forward. We must use this time for our planning commission to develop our plan for the future. We cannot approve projects that will cost our taxpayers without the revenue stream in place before speculative spending. Going forward, debt is not necessarily a bad thing. Debt without citizen approval and the revenue in hand to pay for it is not acceptable.