University of Virginia Library

The Merger Vote

Throughout the months preceding the
Charlottesville-Albemarle merger election today
there has been only confusion surrounding
the issue of whether or not merger should
be approved by members of the county.
Whether or not it will mean higher or lower
taxes has been impossible to determine and
we should be foolish to try to add our
opinions to those that have already clouded
the issue.

Some people will vote for merger today
because they sincerely believe that both city
and county will benefit. Some will oppose
merger for equally sincere reasons. And it has
come to our attention that some people will
vote for merger because they sincerely believe
that if it is defeated, annexation will
inevitably follow, bringing with it even worse
conditions.

It seems unlikely that a city such as
Charlottesville, with a population of about
40,000, will be able to manage the affairs of
Albemarle County any better than they are
currently being managed by County representatives,
or any better than they are currently
managing their own affairs. It seems unlikely
that they will be able to assume the
responsibility of city services throughout the
rural areas with attention equal to that of the
urban area especially without the financial
support that the county now receives from
the State for such things as police and road
maintenance. And experience has shown that
large government units serve mostly to
alienate the public.

However, with a unified administrative
body it does seem likely that there will be a
greater chance for the coordinated development
between city and county in the future-
which could benefit both rural and urban
residents.

The great problem that will have to be
faced is of course, that of taxation. As the
population grows cities are constantly pressed
to raise more revenues to provide the services
that are demanded. Charlottesville obviously
must expand its tax base if it is to maintain
these services. It is also obvious that the trend
has been for the most affluent to remove to
the country or at least to the suburbs outside
of the city; there they enjoy the benefits of
the city while paying the lower taxes of the
County. If the county has indeed become the
dormitory for the city then these "commuters"
must not be allowed to have a free ride
from the residents of the city who become
less and less financially able to cope with the
burden.

Conversely the city must not be allowed to
encroach upon the residents of the county
claiming solely that the tax base must be
made more equitable. If the city and county
were to become one unit some provision
would have to be made for a land-use tax.
There is the possibility that the rural farmer
will not be able to survive under the crippling
influence of city taxes. There is also the
definite possibility that the retired person
living in the county on a fixed income would
be forced out by increased taxes. In such a
case the only profiteers would be land
speculators and developers of subdivision.

Whether or not merger is approved today
the tax system must be made more equitable.
The people in the county must be made to
pay a more equitable share for their use of the
facilities which Charlottesville provides.
Whether merger can or can not provide this
redistribution of the tax load without harming
the small farmer or changing the rural nature
of the county cannot be determined. But at
least it is an attempt to deal with the problem.