Tax rates — and turmoil involving city government — will be dominant topics when the Lynchburg City Council meets twice Tuesday.
The council will hold a work session at 4 p.m. in city hall’s second-floor conference room, 900 Church St. On the agenda is an item, listed as associated with Vice Mayor Curt Diemer, to discuss “the multiple public-facing video copies of the defamation of a Lynchburg citizen posted on city media channels.”
Diemer had not responded to a request for more information about the agenda item by Monday afternoon.
Video of council meetings is available on the city’s website, including the most recent council meeting on May 27.
Conflict among council members has been a recurring theme for several years. The hours-long May 27 meeting was marred by several instances of verbal sparring, particularly between members Chris Faraldi and Martin Misjuns.
Real estate tax rate may be set during the regular meeting
The council’s June 10 regular meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in council chambers at City Hall.
Notable agenda items include these:
- A vote to set the real estate tax rate for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
The draft ordinance in the meeting packet does not suggest a tax rate.
When it met May 27, the council examined a proposal to maintain the current real estate tax rate of 89 cents per $100 of assessed value, although a recent property reassessment increased real estate values by an average of 20% — meaning actual tax bills would go up.
To keep tax bills roughly the same as they are now, council would need to lower the rate to 76.7 cents per $100 of assessed value.
During the May 27 meeting, Faraldi proposed setting a new rate of 76.7 cents per $100 of value. The council voted 4-3 to put the matter on the June 10 agenda.
- A public hearing on increasing the transient lodging tax to 8.5% of the total amount paid and $3 per room per night. Currently, the rate is 6.5% of the total amount paid and $1 per room per night.
Council held a hearing May 27 on a proposal to raise the tax to 12.5% of the total amount paid and to $10 per room per night. However, members voted 5-2 against that proposal after several residents and business owners expressed concern about it.
- A public hearing on rates for ambulance and related services offered by the fire department.
According to meeting documents, Medicare allows ambulance service billing at up to 150% of Medicare rates. The city has not changed ambulance rates since 2018, “and currently charges well below the 150% allowed,” an item summary states.
The proposal would change the rate for nonemergency ambulance transport from the current $350 to $422.07 per trip. The rate for emergency transport is proposed to rise from the current $500 to $675.30 per trip.
If a patient receives advanced life support during a nonemergency transport, the proposed rate would increase from the current $425 to $506.48. If advanced life support is provided during an emergency transport, the rate would go from the current $600 to $801.92. If an emergency transport includes at least one advanced life support procedure combined with at least three medications, the rate would go from $1,160.66 to $1,371.69.
Further, the per-mile transport charge would increase from $12 to $13.73. The charge for oxygen supplies would remain at $50.
The proposed new rates would generate an estimated $200,000 more per year.
You can find the regular meeting agenda packet here.