THIS ARTICLE IS COMMENTARY AND PUBLISHED IN OUR EDITORIAL SECTION.
Cleaning out the notebook with ‘tidbits’ connected to digits
By Randy Arrington, publisher
With the conclusion of the school year and the passing of the summer solstice, it’s time to take a moment, reflect, and review some of “tidbits” we might have missed. Reporters call it “cleaning out the notebook” — making note of the noteworthy that didn’t make headlines, and picking up the news pieces that fell through the cracks.
And we’ll do so through numbers…
$59.75 per vote… In the Democratic primary that was held on June 17, a total of 319 ballots were cast in Page County. That’s a voter turnout (including early voting) of 1.8 percent, at a cost of more than $19,000… or, $59.75 per vote.
93.4% voter registration… There are currently 17,837 registered voters in Page County, among a 2025 estimated population of 23,669. There are an estimated 19.3 percent of that population (4,568) that are under the age of 18. That means that 17,837 of the 19,101 voter-age Page County residents are registered to vote — or 93.4 percent. Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, in the 2024 Presidential Election 73.6 percent of the citizen voting-age population in the U.S. was registered to vote. However, only 57.8 percent of those registered nationally actually went out to vote. Among Page County’s 17,820 registered voters in November, a total of 13,054 ballots were cast in the 2024 general election — a voter turnout of 73 percent.
3.5% increase in TOT… Director of Page County’s Economic Development and Tourism Nina Fox reported at a joint meeting last week that Transient Occupancy Tax revenue for FY25 increased by 3.5 percent over the previous year. Fox stated that while occupancy rates were down overall, the number of short-term rentals has increased.
88% in favor of public transportation… According to the results of a recent Page County Transit Study, 88 percent of the 808 respondents showed a desire for public transportation opportunities in the county. Public bus routes have been offered locally in the past, with limited success. The county and the towns contributed to the $50,000 study, which was supported by a 50-percent grant from Virginia’s Department of Rail and Public Transportation. The results of the study will be used to draw up potential plans for a Page County program that could offer one or two vehicles for fixed routes, on-demand (scheduling), or both. The county and the towns would likely have to agree to fund half the costs, with the state program covering the other half, for a three-year “demonstration period” to show if the program is truly needed by a significant enough population to make it financially sustainable.
50% complete… The county’s review and update of its comprehensive plan is about halfway complete, according to a recent report from County Administrator Amity Moler. She noted “a lot of work” has gone into the effort so far, and the process should be complete in late December or early January. The state requires each locality to review and update its comprehensive plan every five years.
$7.8 million committed… With ARPA and general funds totaling $7.8 million invested in the development a regional broadband project over the past two years, the county now expects All Points Broadband to complete the construction phase in mid- to late-August. Customers should be able to start hooking up to new fiber optic lines installed in underserved areas of the county in September. Completion of the regional broadband project now means that nearly the entire county now has access to high-speed internet.
$170,000 base salary… In recent weeks, the Page County School Board unanimously appointed Dr. Bryan Huber as the next superintendent of Page County Public Schools at a base salary of $170,000 — making him the highest paid public official in Page County. That figure raised some eyebrows considering Dr. Antonia Fox is leaving the position after four years on June 30 at a base pay of $151,000. However, what the school board didn’t announce publicly is that the school division will not be paying for Dr. Huber’s health insurance, as they did for Dr. Fox. A trade-off in the benefits package explains a large portion of the salary difference.
One application… Another aspect of the school superintendent hiring that drew attention was the fact that a six-figure job in the county only attracted one application. However, according to some close to the process, the problem was not unique to Page County. In an era of book banning, cell phones in class, threats of lawsuits, mask wearing (during the pandemic), renaming schools and other hot topics that have lit up school board meetings across the country, the number of educators seeking superintendent roles has declined, according to these sources. While Page County was seeking someone to lead its school system, there were reportedly about two dozen or more similar positons open across Virginia, with some openings receiving zero applications.
• 22,017 parcels… New values on Page County’s 22,017 parcels of real estate will start appearing in mailboxes in October, and become effective on Jan. 1, 2026. The Code of Virginia requires localities to conduct general reassessments every four to six years (for populations under 50,000 – the frequency varies based on population) to keep pace with fair market values in the assessment of real estate taxes. Page County’s last reassessment took effect on Jan. 1, 2021. Since then, the average sold price of a home in Page County has risen 56.8 percent (from $203,941 in 2019 to $319,864 in 2024); and the median sold price has risen 52 percent (from $185,000 in 2019 to $281,000 in 2024). First half taxes for FY26 (billed this December) will be based on current values, while second half billing (due next June) will be based on new values. Supervisors will have an opportunity next spring to “equalize” the tax rate and adjust for higher values on real estate due to reassessment.
And one big vacancy… The big vacancy left by Schewels in the West Luray Shopping Center (or the “Food Lion Shopping Center”) is going to be filled by Marshall’s. The clothing outlet and department store is currently seeking applications for management positions and plans to occupy the 22,000-square-foot space next to Tractor Supply this fall.
Have some “tidbits” of your own to share?
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