The Henry County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to extend the payment deadline for personal property taxes until Feb. 5. According to the Henry County Code, all personal property taxes are due by December 5 of each year.
Linda Love, Commissioner of Revenue, said that her office required an extension to the deadline due to staffing shortages which resulted in a delay in printing the bills. County staff do not anticipate that the delay will have a significant impact on the budget, aside from the loss of some income gained from the interest on the revenue.
The board also heard about two upcoming Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) road projects at its meeting on Tuesday, November 28.
Lisa Price-Hughes, VDOT’s Resident Engineer, said projects include intersection improvements at Dyer Street and the Speedway, and Bojangles across Virginia Avenue
“The improvements are actually minor. Traffic will not be allowed to cross from one side of the road to the other. From Bojangles straight across to Weeping Willow Lane or Dyers Street, or vice versa,” she said.
Price-Hughes said this eliminates a signal phase, with the intent to keep traffic on U.S. 220 flowing better and more efficiently. This project is part of a corridor-wide project that includes six other Roanoke and Franklin County intersections.
“All those seven intersections will be included in this project, and again it’s to improve the efficiency on 220. That project will again be advertised in December,” she said.
Another project, one of the county’s old Smart Scale projects, is at U.S. 58 and Dogwood Drive. It too is designed to improve traffic flow coming into Laurel Park Middle School.
“It adds a right turn lane onto Dogwood (Drive), and widens Dogwood itself to allow for two lanes coming out, one for right and the other for straight through,” she said. “So, that should improve the efficiency of that intersection.”
Price-Hughes said the construction for this project is still a couple of years off so that VDOT can obtain the right of ways needed for the project.
In other matters, the board:
- Approved changes to revenue-sharing agreements with the City of Martinsville and the Henry County Industrial Development Authority related to Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre and the Patriot Centre Expansion. The changes separate the properties into two agreements and provide for future funding of the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corp.
- Approved a siting agreement with Rocky Ford Solar Energy, LLC. The agreement will provide the county with an initial payment of $250,000 and another $500,000 following the receipt of all required permits and approvals.
In addition, the company agreed to pay the county $20,000 multiplied by the final megawatt capacity of the project. - Approved its 2024 Legislative Agenda.
- Approved the carryover of more than $59 million in fiscal year 2023 funds to cover items where funds were committed during the year but not received as of June 30.
- Amended the FY24 school budget and appropriated $1,494,703 received from the Commonwealth for education.
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Approved an additional appropriation of $980,336 from the 1% Sales Tax fund for architectural services related to the construction of fieldhouses at Bassett and Magna Vista high schools. Approximately $654,000 will be used to replace heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment at Rich Acres Elementary School. - Approved an additional appropriation of $18,448 received from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance program for overtime hours that provide high-impact law enforcement in areas experiencing increased crime.
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Awarded a $98,964 contract to RK Chevrolet to buy two Chevrolet Silverado Police Pursuit Vehicles for the Sheriff’s Office. - Approved an additional appropriation of $20,700 received from miscellaneous refunds and revenues to cover expenses related to clerical positions at the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.
- Approved an additional appropriation of $25,000 received from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation for updates to Bike Barn operations.
- Approved a resolution adopting the county’s Emergency Operations Plan.
- Approved a resolution honoring Robert Clark for his 34 years of service to the Henry County Board of Zoning Appeals.
- Recognized the winning teams from Parks & Recreation’s football and girls’ basketball seasons.
- Reappointed Mike Harris and Kathy Rea to the Public Service Authority Board of Directors for 4-year terms scheduled to end Jan. 5, 2028.
- Appointed Billie White to the Community Policy and Management Team for a 2-year term scheduled to end on June 30, 2025.
- Reappointed Matt Tatum to the Western Virginia Emergency Medical Services Council, Inc., to a 3-year term scheduled to end on Dec. 31, 2026.
- Reappointed Lee Clark and Bryan McAlexander to the West Piedmont Planning District Commission Technical Advisory Committee to 3-year terms scheduled to end on Dec. 31, 2026.
Jim Adams, chairman, and of the Blackberry District, did not attend the first half of the meeting.
