Bath County Won’t Pay VRS Share For New Employees Starting July 2010

Warm Springs, VA – Bath County won’t pay the Virginia Retirement System 5% employee share for new employees. At Tuesday night’s Bath Board of Supervisors meeting the board voted to not pay the 5% employee share for any new employees hired July 1, 2010 or later. The Virginia Retirement System has made changes and new employees hired July 1 or later will now pay their own 5% share.

Bath already pays the 5% employee share for those who were hired before July 1, 2010 and plans to continue to do that. The only new hire anticipated this year in Bath County is a tourism director. The Bath School Board has already voted to continue to pay the 5% for its new hires on or after July 1, but will reconsider that plan next year.

Also on Tuesday night the board ratified two letters of support for programs through Total Action Against Poverty. The first was for TAP’s Homeless Intervention Program grant application. And the second was for TAP to continue to serve as the contractor for indoor plumbing and rehab housing services in Bath.

TAP gets funds from the Department of Housing and Community Development for the indoor plumbing rehab program. There is one indoor plumbing project underway in Bath and TAP has completed weatherization on more than 37 homes in the county as part of the program.

The board tabled a discussion on pursuing a grant application for planning and implementation of geo thermal for heating and cooling county buildings. The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission is helping in a grant search. At this point it appears that Bath County would have to provide a large part of the cost on a geo thermal project.

Supervisor Jon Trees said the county can’t afford not to look at this because of the cost of electricity and fuel for heating. The board asked County Administrator Bonnie Johnson to continue researching grant opportunities.

The board also made the following appointments Tuesday night:

Sherry Ryder was appointed to the Department of Social Services Board.

Bonnie Johnson was appointed to the Dabney Lancaster Community College Board.

Sue Hirsh was appointed to both the Regional Community Criminal Justice Board and the Regional ASAP Policy Board.

Glen Criser and Chester Cleek were referred to the State Health Commission for consideration of appointment to the Warm Springs Sanitation Commission.