The Page County Board of Supervisors passed the budget tonight with the following changes:
- They eliminated the job of the CTO completely.
- They eliminated all funding for the Economic Development Authority and Office.
- In July, they are going to come up with a policy for expenses of county employees to be reimbursed instead of to use county credit cards, and also a policy for cars.
Here are the results from the EDA Meeting earlier today:
- They voted to write a letter to the USDA withdrawing the application for the loan for Clover.
- voted to continue with the appraisal of Clover, at the cost of $5K to $10K, because Baughan said the cost was already mostly incurred, so they might as well have it in place so that there isn’t just that “phony, biased appraisal” on record.
- They reviewed an invoice from Carolyn Perry, bond counsel, of over $7,300 for work related to getting the bond issued so Rebecca’s money would be tax free. This bill was paid by county taxpayers. This included the time that Carolyn used to lobby the supervisors individually so that the citizens would not know.
- EDA member Steve Whisler asked where the money comes from that the EDA uses to pay all these bills (ie, Sara Levinsons consulting contract, the website consulting contract, the unending lawyer bills, etc). Lowell said it comes from their 19K budget. Nobody said a word after that.
- Lowell later clarified that Tom Cardman just transfers the money to the EDA, on an open ended blank check.
- They reviewed a letter from Robert Janney in which he said they did not use their best faith efforts to get the county to pay, so Rebecca wasn’t done with them yet.
Just a clarification point. They did retain the funding for the job retention grants for Emco and KVK and also for the $15K in grants to the three towns. No other operating money for the EDA or Econ Development department (which no longer exists).
Doesn’t one of our current supervisors own kvk and emco?
I’m just a little curious about the ‘job retention grants.’ Do they mean a ‘business pays their taxes and gets them back’ to ‘keep jobs’ that we ultimately subsidize through OUR taxes? Just curious as to how jobs are paid for. Through operating revenues of the companies, or….how? If these businesses add to the tax base of the county how come they get what they paid, back? Someone please explain!!
Would just like to say Page County it’s time to step. It’s time for a revamp get some educated people on the board and get rid of the good ol’ boys. How on earth could the board ever consider putting that kind of money into buying land for business that are not even out there. People it’s called a recession it’s been going on for a few years now. Then to cut your Emergency Management position(not sure of all the other’s cut) you got to be kidding me that’s one that should have never been cut. You got people holding top position in agencies that aren’t even qualified for it and funny if those people weren’t there (as a favor to someone else) the state would be handling it. BUT, it’s page county always has to be backwards. Board members let me just say the taxpayer’s will speak up for all the money you have wasted and are still wasting….
I think what the Board just did was impressive, bold, courageous, and a massive step forward. They passed this budget, but they now have their hands on what they’ve done. They still have the option to tweak individual line items in the future, as they step in and get to know how the county operates, personally. This is the first Board to ever really delve into the items line by line. They only did it in the last few days, and during that time they found some surprising things.
A $1.1M item to open a new cell at the landfill, for example, that did not have to happen this year. Why was that in there?. Mr. Short suggested that each supervisor take a different department and really learn about that departments’ operations.
The Board did more than I ever hoped for. I see this as a chance to really move forward with Page County 2.0 — a new day with a chance for the good people of this county to rally around the causes they care about, and progress as a community.
Environmental programs, for example. Grants exist. Non profit organizations exist. Citizens who care exist. Rally together. Go get the grants, and make this a non-governmental function. If the local government needs to support the effort with their signatures, as long as it doesn’t cost anything, they probably will. Citizens can do this on their own, with state and federal grants and citizen fund-raising.
Recreational programs. Government has NO NEED to do that. Local citizens can do it on their own. Gather together the parents who want a soccer league. Charge the parents who are in it a fee, sell tickets, do whatever entrepreneurial thing you need to do. Citizens can do this.
Small business and home based business. When you don’t have a job, print a business card off your home computer and be a consultant. Go look for consulting contracts. Start a cottage industry business in your basement. Oh, and all those Page County rules that harass small business? They have to go, as part of Page County 2.0
It’s time for a new day, and I personally plan to start posting positive new day stuff about how the citizens of Page County can survive in their new entrepreneurial existence, without government harassment in their home based businesses.
I hear that. If people in Page didn’t think the local government would send punishing inspectors over or busy tax colletors, you’d see more thriving home businesses. Right now, I know folks who work quiet in the shadows for fear of being harassed. This keeps productivity low when they could be networking and advertising.
Most home businesses work on razor thin margins so it sucks the life out of ideas if you need to buy a $500 businesses license or VDOT forcing to build a new driveway or the labyrinth of getting a special use permit.
Instead the Board should call a meeting to teach citizens how to start a home business. Streamline the process. $15 licenses. Helpful county emlployees who want me to succeed. Make first two years tax free. Make following years very low taxes.
The more people running thriving home businesses, the less unemployment and need for crazy EDA schemes.
Come on BOS, let’s really change things!
When this board first sat in January,one of their concerns was the lack of concern and imput from more of the citizens in this county and what they(the board)could do to increase citizens’ involvement in the decision-makings of the board.They were told to “Listen to the citizens and ask for imput in making decisions”.It’s evident that they are following that advice. The BOS is willing to listen, the first step in regaining citizens’ confidence that they(the board) want what’s best for this county. I applaud them for their efforts.
Alice,
I think that EMCO and KVK should be treat with respect. I can’t speak for EMCO but I can speak somewhat for KVK. This is a modern business that uses some of the latest technology to do some really special machining. They use automated machining equipment (CAM) to produce complex projects. The use of the internet to send and receive engineering drawnings (CAD) is common place. Computer automated macnining codes can be sent all over the world on the internet. Page needs this kind of forward thinking, progressive, and profitable business. If they are recieving an unwarrented grant, they need to be treated fairly and not dumped on. This is the time for helping friends of Page County. Yes, the owner is on the Board and was recently elected because of his business savy. If a grant helps keep them here, great.
Rick
I agree, Rick. I am perfectly fine with the grants. I am THRILLED that the rest of the foolishness being perpetrated by the EDA has been ended. Here is what my problem was with the EDA: they were operating on a blank check, with no disclosure, with disrespect to the citizens, with the INTENT to deceive the citizens. I watched the EDA meetings and the members of that EDA had NO QUESTIONS. NO QUESTIONS
It’s like someone told them what to think, think just how far did card,am go???
Cardman did what Lowell Baughan told him to do. Lowell selected the site and set the price. Cardman was the frontman and the fall guy.
red rascal