Skip to content
A familiar face will be on the ballot in November in the Augusta County constitutional officer races, as longtime former Pastures District Supervisor Tracy Pyles is running for the commissioner of the revenue office.
Pyles filed his candidacy late last week. The filing deadline for the November ballot was Tuesday.
Pyles, 76, spent 22 years as a member of the Augusta County Board of Supervisors. He will oppose George Price, the current real estate manager in the commissioner of the revenue office. Price came to the position a year ago after serving as the Chief Deputy Commissioner of the Revenue in Washington County.
Pyles has several ambitious goals if elected in November. A numbers cruncher when he served as a supervisor, he plans to “present honest numbers that will mean lower taxes” for Augusta County residents.
People are also reading…
He wants the real estate tax lowered to 58 cents per $100. He said that tax increases “all went to reserves” in the county previously. Even with a lower tax rate, Pyles said more funding could be offered to the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office and the Augusta County Schools.
Pyles also proposes in-house real estate reassessments, which he thinks can cut the costs by half. “We are spending $1 million plus on reassessment. An in-house reassessment would cost half of that,” he said.
One of his significant platforms is a flat $100 motor vehicle tax for county residents. Pyles said the expensive trucks county residents purchase for work also means hefty annual car tax payments.
“This (flat car tax) could be a game changer for car dealers,” said Pyles, who expects they would seek Augusta County locations because of the modest car tax levy.
Pyles is a Churchville resident and 1976 political science graduate of what is now James Madison University. He spent 25 years as a corporate purchasing manager for the former American Safety Razor plant in Verona. He has served as a columnist for The News Virginian. He plans to use social media and other venues to publicize his campaign.
Current Augusta County Commissioner of the Revenue Jean Shrewsbury announced her retirement in April because of family reasons. She said serving in the position is not solely a management one. “There is a lot of specializing in tax and finance,” Shrewsbury said of the commissioner’s job.
Among other constitutional officers in Augusta County, incumbent Sheriff Donald Smith, and Commonwealth’s Attorney Tim Martin are unopposed. Current interim Treasurer Jackie Nash is opposed by David Bourne, the chairman of the Augusta County Republican Committee.
Incumbent Clerk of Court Steve Landes is unopposed in his bid for an eight-year term in November. Landes, serving his fourth year as clerk, said in a Wednesday press release, “I am grateful and honored to have the confidence of the people of Augusta County. I look forward to continuing to campaign for re-election as clerk of Circuit Court and to continue to discuss the new goals we hope to accomplish for the citizens in the clerk’s office.”
Incumbent Augusta County Supervisors Mike Shull of the Riverheads District and Jeff Slaven of the North River District are unopposed, as is Carolyn Bragg in the South River District. Bragg was appointed as an interim supervisor in April to fill the unexpired term of Steve Morelli. Wayne District Supervisor Scott Seaton is opposed by John Higgs.
