Editor, Gazette-Journal:
In response to the article in the March 16 Gazette-Journal regarding the Mathews County budget work session, I would like to take the time to clarify a few discrepancies as reported.
• The comment made that the 37% increase in real estate values was an increase from two years ago is false. The fact of the matter is that this increase represents six years, as Mathews County has historically implemented the six-year reassessment cycle pursuant to the Code of Virginia.
• Ramona Wilson requested from my office the 2022 personal property value total. Typically, a locality will use the previous year to estimate what the values will be for the current year; however, due to the values being astronomically inflated in 2022, I suggested that the 2021 values also be considered and provided Ms. Wilson and David Jones with values from 2020, 2021 and 2022. Ms. Wilson also requested the values for 2023, but that is impossible to provide in the first couple of months of the ye...