Two speakers at a budget hearing last night asked Henrico County leaders to think about the impact of development on roads, schools and other infrastructure.

Tom Townsend questioned why the Board of Supervisors doesn't impose cash proffers on developers. He said increased traffic congestion in the Short Pump area resulted from an "unabated volume of rezoning approvals over the last several years" and an imbalance between infrastructure funding and growth.

Susan Rhodes, who also lives in the western end of the county, asked how the county will pay to educate hundreds of new students who likely will come as a result of residential development.

"How can the supervisors address this traffic congestion and more directly correlate rezoning requests and approvals with the necessary infrastructure to support this growth?" Townsend asked. "Why doesn't Henrico County impose cash proffers upon developers during the rezoning approval process to fund and help pay for these necessary infrastructure improvements rather than spreading the cost of this infrastructure on all citizens in the county?"

Board Chairman David A. Kaechele said commercial and retail development in the area also has strengthened the county's tax base, creating revenue to pay for infrastructure improvements. He said the board has considered cash proffers in the past, but one objection has been that it could affect the affordability of homes.

County Manager Virgil R. Hazelett added that cash proffers collected from developers must be accumulated over time to pay for a project and can only be applied to future, not existing, development.

"What we have been able to do and what we emphasize in Henrico County is economic development," Hazelett said. "We try to keep our commercial and industrial base to such a point that we minimize the overall impact on residents."

Of a dozen speakers during the public hearing, two-thirds represented community organizations and agencies thanking the board for financial support or asking for funding.

A proposal to change county homes and businesses with "Richmond, VA" mailing addresses to "Henrico, VA" addresses drew comments from two residents, one with concerns and another expressing support.

The proposed $1.23 billion operating and capital budget for next year would hold the real-estate tax rate at 87 cents per $100 of assessed value. But an average 2.6 percent increase in reassessments of residential properties will mean higher tax bills for many residents.

Supervisors plan to adopt the spending plan at their April 22 meeting.
Contact Melodie N. Martin at (804) 649-6290 or mmartin@timesdispatch.com.