"There are some great local governments in this country doing some pretty amazing things,” said Ken Peterson, Chairman of the Goochland County Board of Supervisors. “So it is a special honor to have ACCE present its 2017 Taxpayer Friendly Community Award to Goochland County.”
Goochland County has embraced a number of taxpayer-friendly policies over the last several years, including maintaining consistently low taxes on real and personal property. In addition, the county has the lowest reliance on state funding for schools as a percentage of cost, and has saved millions of taxpayer dollars by refinancing debt.
ACCE also recognized Goochland County for its numerous transparency initiatives including: streaming all board meetings online, an online record of all government credit card purchases, and a publicly viewable check register for county and public school accounts. Goochland County was one of the first counties in Virginia to create a publicly viewable check register, serving as a model for localities large and small to follow.
The County Board of Supervisors and School Board also hold six Town Hall meetings jointly per year to ensure the public has a voice in making policy.
“Goochland County is a national leader in taxpayer friendly policies,” said Jon Russell, National Director of ACCE and Culpeper Town Councilman. “Other counties need to look at their model of governance and replicate their success.”
“It’s always an honor to be recognized as a leader among so many great organizations,” said John Budesky, County Administrator. “Goochland County staff work diligently to operate professional and efficient operations each and every day.”