Several speakers addressed the February 10 meeting of the Patrick County Board of Supervisors, highlighting transparency concerns and encouraging others to attend meetings and voice opinions.
Noting the recent spate of negative publicity facing the county, Kurt Bozenmayer said numerous residents have spoken at board meetings and on social media regarding issues including county finances, employment issues, toxic chemicals, and the hospital in the past few months.
“Lately that has spilled over into a major finger-pointing exercise between individual supervisors that has extended into the weekly reporting of The Enterprise newspaper. I believe that a major contribution to this growing hostility, the inability, or unwillingness, of the county administration to provide answers to questions raised by citizens,” he said.
If the county administration provided answers, either through the administrator’s office or by statements from supervisors, Bozenmayer said he believes it would go a long way to dispel the growing hostility. He added the answers could be provided on social media or in a weekly newspaper column.
“Social media and the press are not going away, and the longer the county takes the ostrich approach, or the supervisors fight amongst themselves, the more distrust is going to be expressed by the citizens,” Bozenmayer said.
* Expressing her concerns about the county’s spending practices, and residents being viewed as an annoyance and not an importance, Karen DeCapp said residents “want and seek truth, transparency, fairness, and respect. This should not equate to ‘bad treatment’ by those who are asked. While I have only spoken out in five meetings, six counting this one, in 10 years, I’ve had several people shake my hand and thank me,” she said.
There’s a sense among the county that a few people in powerful positions have a thumb on them, DeCapp said, “Addressing the taxpayer’s problems are addressed as ‘the taxpayers are the problem’ and ‘make them shut up, sit down, and accept whatever they deem is beneficial to the county’ is taking place.’ Some employees even feel their job is at stake. Hostility and comments, which could be construed as intimidation or threats, only fuels the mantra that is happening,” she said.
She added that the conduct, and ‘unwise’ spending is a familiar path she and her husband have seen before, and added their concern has always been on struggling taxpayers who get lost in the noise of investments and causes.
The theory that government spending and the addition of high-paying jobs to a county government will bring prosperity and raise the 20 percent living below the poverty line has been tried over and over, she said.
“In all of history, it has never worked. The exact opposite happens. It’s a fairy-tale scenario which ends in a nightmare. And as Einstein said, ‘Doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results is insanity.’ Many people in this county feel they are living in the asylum, and after the January 13 meeting, the question deepens – who is running the asylum,” DeCapp asked.
Public hearings and the public comment period are designed to allow taxpayers to speak freely with questions, concerns, disappointments, and requests, she said, adding that she believes some supervisors listen with an open mind, give thought and consideration to the concerns outlined, and understand hardships.
“To them, it’s not about control, power, and running the county how they see fit. I pray these common-sense leadership roles will prevail. This wonderful county and people deserve cool heads and intelligent decisions,” she said.
DeCapp said she stands by her previous suggestion to make the county administrator position an elected position and encouraged supervisors to hold town hall meetings because residents’ concerns and questions often are ignored or unanswered.
* Mike DeCapp raised concerns about the county’s financial status, noting that “before we moved here 10 years ago, the assessed value of our home in Illinois, and we lived clear across the state from Chicago, was almost the same as our home is assessed at today in Patrick County. Our 2024 tax bill in Patrick County was around $1,100, and I’m sure as all of you on the board know, there’s plenty of people madder than mad about paying that,” he said.
In 2015, Mike DeCapp said their tax bill was almost $4,100, which is almost four times what they currently pay. That breaks down to $342 a month for property taxes. While it doesn’t happen all at once or overnight, he noted it can also happen in Patrick County.
“Taxes are going to go up, that’s the nature of things. Costs increase, wages increase, but we need to be diligent on how we spend. We need to prioritize needs and not wants, necessities not luxuries, that’s one reason why I speak,” he said. “I speak because I’m concerned we may be heading down a misguided path where we think to compete for business investments with our larger neighboring counties, we have to have all the governmental bells and whistles they have. I speak because I don’t want us to confuse good government with big government. I speak because I think it’s reckless to put 100 acres of solar panels in heavily forested mountain areas where we have a history of wildfires.”
* Galen Gilbert said a fire and EMS study prepared for the county by the state and began last year should be complete at the end of the month.
“Fire and rescue in the county are really true to my heart,” and some issues surrounding those agencies “makes me madder than a hornet. Times are hard, everybody has a hard time,” he said, adding that volunteer fire departments — Patrick Springs, Ararat, Fairystone, and Woolwine — saved the county more than $600,000 recently by getting new Self Containing Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) equipment.
“Six hundred thousand dollars is a lot of money that got saved of this county having to come up with, and we’re always digging and looking for grants, and that’s what we’ll do. But quit rocking the boat, quit messing with Station 8, quit messing with Jeb Stuart Rescue,” he said. “I was rereading the paper the other day, and without saying names, I reread it and ‘if you don’t know me.’ Well, from what I’ve seen, I don’t want to know you at this point because you tried to take one of the biggest squads in this county down. We were running 1,200 calls in that final year that we were wide open, and there’s no way this county can absorb that many calls through Station 8. We’re coming back and we’re very proud of it. We want to be there for our citizens,” Gilbert said.
* Ed Pool discussed the current litigation with Energix Renewable Energies, a solar company, in Henry, Sussex, Chesapeake, and Prince William counties. “We’re trying to do a state-wide assessment, but they’re presently involved in 24 civil litigations within the Commonwealth, just as it stands within those counties alone,” he said.
In Wytheville, Pool said a suit has moved off the court dockets to arbitration. “I think it’s a pretty good example of a moratorium that’s been put in place. Why it’s a good moratorium until we can get things figured out, possibly with a toxic chemical ordinance or other means and methods,” he said.
*Jamie Clark addressed a board member who concludes his online comments by stating that he represents both his district and the entire county.. “He also uses a disclaimer in his correspondence between himself and other board members that it is protected information, yet he publishes them on his website and Facebook. I have news for him, in Virginia we have the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) laws, and those laws protect us the citizens of Patrick County, so board members like you can’t do our public business in private or behind your keyboard. Keep on trying to hide behind the keyboard and we the citizens, our local newspaper, the Enterprise, will keep digging on what you sir are trying to hide or do behind our backs,” Clark said.
* Steve Marshall, of the Blue Ridge District, read a prepared statement regarding emails he marked “confidential and do not share” and sent to the other board members, which “addressed concerns about potential legal risks stemming from what in my view were instances of employee harassment and steps taken toward constructive termination,” he said, adding his intent was to foster a private discussion about protecting the county from legal exposure and ensuring a respectful workplace for all employees.
Instead, he said that at least one of his colleagues disregarded that confidentiality and shared the emails with the press. “This breach of trust was a reckless stunt that jeopardized our county’s interests. Let me be clear: these emails were never meant for public distribution. They were internal communications aimed at addressing concerns and reminding my fellow supervisors of our ethical and legal responsibilities, as well as the potential consequences of failing to uphold them,” he said, adding that the action “exposed the county to costly litigation and undermines the trust essential among elected officials. It also creates unnecessary turmoil for our employees, who deserve a workplace free from fear, harassment, and political gamesmanship,” Marshall read.
Marshall said his fellow supervisors must act in the best interests of the county, which includes protecting taxpayer dollars, maintaining a professional workplace, and respecting the confidentiality of sensitive discussions. The unauthorized release of his emails violates these principles and sets a dangerous precedent, he said.
“The subsequent public comments about me by my fellow supervisors have further breached trust and created a hostile environment. Instead of addressing concerns directly, they were aired publicly – an unprofessional approach that hinders resolution. This damages our collective credibility and erodes public trust,” he said.
“Moving forward, I hope you can all recommit to a spirit of integrity and honest collaboration. Our county deserves nothing less,” Marshall read.
* Rebecca Adcock spoke about the need to support the Blue Ridge Regional Library.
* Steve Ferring inquired about the times and dates of the board’s budget sessions. County Administrator Beth Simms said the first one will be Monday, February 24.
In other matters, the board:
*Approved the Jan. 13 meeting minutes.
*Approved the bills, claims, and appropriations.
*Gave a resolution of appreciation to the Department of Social Services (DSS) for Benefit Programs Specialist Month.
*Tabled hearing from ZiTEL Chief Operating Officer Rodney Gray about a BEAD grant letter of support.
*Scheduled a public hearing for the March 10 meeting to set the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Rural Rustic Roads and Secondary Six-Year Plan.
*Approved a resolution initiating an amendment of the Patrick County comprehensive plan to address policies for solar facilities and amend the county’s solar ordinance.
*Heard the 2023-2024 Blue Ridge Regional Library report from Director Rick Ward and Branch Manager Garry Clifton.
*Approved adopting the Public Service Authority (PSA) – VDOT land-use permit renewal.
*Approved a resolution opposing Appalachian Power Company’s (AEP) rate increases.
*Approved the two grants brought to the board by Grants and Communications Manager Beth Morris.
*Approved the funding request for three family service specialist positions for DSS.
*Approved changing the public comment aggregate speaking time to five minutes to 10 minutes in the board’s Rules and Procedures.
*Adopted the Rules and Procedure.
