In their last three meetings the Patrick County Board of Supervisors has dealt with such issues as buying toilet paper, paying for dead dogs or cows, assessing the correct number of basketball goals, evicting the soup kitchen and voting to thumb their noses at the voters on the meals tax. Can they transform into a serious governmental body doing the work the people of Patrick County deserve?
While their meetings provide considerable entertainment value (holding meetings at the Star Theater comes to mind), the issues we citizens face are serious.
First, the supervisors need to publicly rescind at their next meeting their vote to support the initiative to have the state legislature amend state statutes regarding the supervisors’ powers to levy a meals tax. They need to direct the county manager at that meeting to inform the leaders of the initiative and our local state representatives and senator that the citizens of Patrick County do not support the change.
Surely the supervisors heard 61% of the people speak and every precinct vote “no” on the meals tax. Additionally, they need to pledge that no matter what the state legislature decides they will not impose a meals tax without a referendum.
Secondly, the supervisors need to free up currently available county monies to fund the 24/7 taxpayer supported EMS system. The supervisors have been jawing about this issue for nine years. Now is the time for them to act instead of continuing to obfuscate. The only reason we are the only county in the immediate area that does not have taxpayer supported 24/7 EMS is the ineptness of our county supervisors.
Third, the supervisors need to vote to forego their compensation as a supervisor until the 24/7 taxpayer supported EMS systems is implemented. They need to have some “skin in the game” just as we taxpayers do.
Fourth, the supervisors need to pledge to the taxpayers there will be no tax increase in the 2018 budget and no county funds used for raises and pay increases. Instead they need to tighten their belt as we have all had to do and work to decrease our taxes. Once again people living on Social Security received almost no cost of living increase. The county employees received 3%. We are the ones who deserve a pay raise!
Please call, talk with or email your supervisor (info available at www. co.patrick.va.us) and let them know you support the above agenda. We need effective and serious steps taken by the supervisors to address the issues of high taxes and little to no services.
Will this divided board of supervisors set their pettiness aside? Will they be able to stop fussing over the trivial and start fighting for the people of Patrick County? Time will tell.
Bill Moore
Woolwine
