Social services

But the study also uncovered unmet needs. Overworked social workers have heavy caseloads and thus cannot be proactive in seeking out new opportunities to help when they are already burdened. Salaries are not always competitive, and advanced degrees are not encouraged for social workers because tuition payments are not offered. All offices within the county are not on the same page regarding the urgency of social service needs, or management styles, or budget needs. One senior administrator said “the County Board says ‘Go slow, keep costs down, don’t ask for major increases,’” thus squelching requests for more social workers and better conditions. This is a reactive approach to social need, not proactive as one would hope, and one sees elsewhere. And it is not responsible government.
So, you providers of assistance in the churches and the schools and county offices should be proud of your beautifully human generosity. But you should also be fighting for a more equitable taxation system within the county that adjusts upward the land-use tax policies discussed two weeks ago in the Fluvanna Review. Adjustments can induce more productivity without despoiling our rural environment, our quiet and our green vistas. It is more equitable. And the revenues will strengthen our community and enable us to better meet the needs of others in our midst.