Colonial Beach taxpayers pay double taxes for the privilege of living in Town and, while they are not constantly fussing about it, using that money wisely gets more important with each passing day.

This recession has put many localities in a financial hole with few funds to run their governments and no relief in sight. As a result, cities and towns are cutting services and protecting only the most vital needs of their residents. This is the exact scenario where Colonial Beach finds itself  – so much need and so little money to pay the bills.
With the imminent departure of Chief of Police Hawkins, who has run a good department, maybe now is the time to take a look at the operation of the Beach’s standalone Police Department. Is it really something the Town can afford with its limited resources, or should it contract with Westmoreland County to have the Sheriff’s Department take over the Beach’s essential public safety needs.

If such were to happen, cost savings in departmental overhead would be substantial and more money would be available for on-the-beat officers. Currently, the Colonial Beach Police Department expenses are budgeted for over a million dollars and account for 35% of the Town’s general fund budget. Can the Town’s limited number of taxpayers really afford a standalone Police Department?
Since the Westmoreland Sheriff’s Department already has jurisdiction in Colonial Beach and has an outstanding reputation, a transition between the two departments would be relatively seamless.
Having a substation in Colonial Beach would not be something which would be foreign to the thinking of many townspeople. And if Colonial Beach, as part of the negotiation, agreed to underwrite the cost of three or four officers to be permanently assigned to work within the Town limits, Beachers might have the best of both worlds – their own, local enforcement officers, and the strength of the whole Westmoreland Sheriff’s Department.
Everyone knows that there is not enough money to run the Town – just look at how hard it is to handle routine maintenance, without even trying to upgrade equipment and meet payrolls.
Like trying to keep a car running, it takes money to do routine tasks like changing the oil to keep a car from having the engine blow up due lack of maintenance. It’s the same for the Town. Some of the million dollars now spent on the Beach’s police department could well be used to have a schedule of routine maintenance the Town cannot now afford.
Colonial Beach taxpayers pay double taxes for the privilege of living in Town,  (with a portion of the double taxation money going to support the Westmoreland County Sheriff’s department) and, while residents are not constantly fussing about it, using that money wisely gets more important with each passing day.
The new Council, just like the new School Board, has a wonderful opportunity to make some serious changes in the way the Town operates so that it can meet its expenses and still find a way to bring more people into the community to visit, spend their money, enjoy the water, and, even want to live in this beautiful, friendly community.
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