Government

    The Bedford County Board of Supervisors voted, Monday night, to advertise a real estate tax rate of 53 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. This passed on a 4-3 vote after comments from the public and often passionate discussion by the supervisors. The 53 cent rate is an equalization rate, intended to bring in the same amount of revenue as the current 50 cent rate.

    One citizen, Don Barlow, asked the supervisors to raise his taxes.

    Bedford County Public Schools may get more local money in the next fiscal year, after all.

    This assumes that the supervisors follow their past practice of equalizing the real estate tax rate and sharing half of additional discretionary revenue with the school division, which would increase the local transfer to the schools by $1.1 million.

Congressman Robert Hurt stopped by Bedford, last week, to address a business roundtable hosted by the Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce. His main themes were the need to reduce the federal deficit and reduce regulation.

    “We’ve got to get our fiscal house in order in Washington,” said Hurt, concerning the deficit.

    Building a windmill for electric power generation is now a use-by-right in all zones in Bedford County. The Bedford County Board of Supervisors and the county's planning commission unanimously approved the ordinance at a joint meeting Monday night. The joint meeting was held in order to speed the process.