Editor’s note: The following was originally offered as an address to those present at a recent Board of Supervisors meeting.

In a recent My Point of View editorial and in some mailbox stuffers, some statements were made about County government that were inaccurate or not fully informed.  My intention in addressing those inaccuracies is not to be defensive or in any way to escalate the anger, but rather to disabuse our residents about inaccuracies that cause uncertainty, non-clarity, or fear-and-loathing of those of us—elected, appointed, or staff—who are trying to serve in good faith.

First, the comparison was made between the suggested spendthrift Powhatan Board of Supervisors and the austerity of federal, state, and other counties.  It is true we have hired employees over the last year.  At the same time, we’ve cut a larger number of positions or frozen the filling of positions.  Some have been frozen since 2007 and most will remain so.  We have indeed added some jobs, but fewer than we’ve cut, for a net reduction.  Now the legitimate question is why fill any positions, given our present troubles.

1. Grants Coordinator: we filled this position because we knew we were missing out on the identification of, application for, and securing of federal and state grants precisely because we didn’t have someone actively seeking them out.  The GC has already paid for her salary and benefits by the grants we’ve secured…monies and programs we would probably not have received had we not aggressively gone after them.

2. Director of Parks and Recreation: previous Boards built the magnificent Fighting Creek Park.  Someone has to oversee it, to schedule it, to invite people to use it from out-of-County for events like softball tournaments.  Visitors drop money in Powhatan for our small businesses and we also receive sales tax revenues from those visitors.  This job also coordinates the use of our school fields so that everyone is treated equitably and has access.

But more importantly, this Board has made a commitment to our citizens:

• Health-conscious activities
• Family-oriented activities
• Youth activities
• Elderly activities
• Disabled persons activities
• Therapeutic activities

Personally, I made a commitment, of which I’ve spoken before, to try to create programs and venues which invite our youth off the highways, to give them a place-to-go, activities under guidance of the people like Charlie Green, much of whose life revolved around activities and role-modeling for character building.  I’d rather some of our young people were in sports at the park rather than running the highways or looking for trouble at Sheetz.

3. Fire and Emergency Management Chief: as you heard earlier in this meeting, we’ve gotten too big not to have coordination and economies of scale and uniformity of equipment that the Chief is charged to find for us.  We held this position vacant for 14 months in order to save taxpayer money.  Chief Bucher is working to improve our response times (increasingly important as our population ages).  Calls for our volunteers to respond to emergencies have doubled, ladies and gentlemen, over the past year or so.  We have to come into the new century.  The Chief is also doing trend analyses to get the data necessary to help us plan our future operating and capital budgets.

4. Executive Assistant: this was a part-time, 35-hour/week job before we added 5 hours and made it full-time.  It was approved in 2009; we held it open for months in order to save money.
We don’t make decisions lightly to add to HC or to eliminate jobs or to hold positions open.  Let me give you an example from last year’s budget.  Faced with an increase in domestic violence that always unfortunately accompanies economic downturns, this Board sought out grant money and determined to create a DV Prevention Program to replace one that lapsed 5 or 7 years ago. 

Today I sat in a DVTF meeting in which a Sheriff’s Deputy and a State Police Officer, as well as our DVP Coordinator, went through what police officers face every weekend in this generally wonderful community.  To listen to the descriptions of abuse will make the hair stand up on the back of your neck.  We made the right decision as a community, as a Board, to bite that bullet.
Another issue raised in the editorial was the tax rate.  We haven’t raised it.  We advertised a proposed tax rate.  Our intent was revenue neutral. 

The overall assessment for County properties went down 11.8% because of the real estate bubble bursting.  Residential assessments went down even more: 13.2%, which means most home-owners will see a stable or lower actual tax bill since business assessments will pick up some of the slack.

Another claim was that our federal stimulus money was used somehow inappropriately.  100% of Powhatan’s stimulus went to the schools.  Whereas we might rather want to use stimulus money for one-time investments and while we understand the difference between sustainable and one-time expenditures, by law the School Board controls School Board monies, not the Board of Supervisors.  If the School Board in its wisdom, and I don’t mean that in any way sarcastically, chooses to save jobs instead of spending received monies on capital equipment…they’re paid to make that kind of tough decision.

We are taking painful steps.  We can disagree on whether we’re taking painful enough steps.  The recent upgrade of our bond rating to AA is a rigorous third-party’s recognition of the appropriateness of our painful steps.  We are cutting expenditures wherever we can to counter state shortfalls while trying hard with a revenue neutral tax rate not to make it impossible for folks to keep their homes.

Finally, the editorial suggested we are trying to hide something because of our request for the right for a judge to decide, in exceptional cases, if the County is being harassed.  Let me be clear: we asked for this to safeguard the public’s money and staff time, the loss of which damages productivity, from frivolous abuse of rights granted under the Freedom of Information Act statute.  I will tell you that the General Assembly Subcommittee hearing the proposed bill and recommending a year’s study stated emphatically that the problem Powhatan wanted to fix was clearly harassment by a private citizen.  I and, I believe, this Board wholeheartedly believe in and support the FOIA.

A quote from the editorial: “Powhatan government is going on as if nothing has changed”.  If you attend budget meetings, peruse the detail of the $1 million cut by the non-school side and $2 million cut for the schools, you’d know that’s not true. 

If you attend School Board-Board of Supervisors joint meetings discussing our budget woes and what we’re being pushed to do…watch the fur fly as we try to find a way through…you wouldn’t think we were going on as if nothing has changed.  Everything has changed.

There’s room for us to disagree over individual budget items…and even on the aggregate budget.  Make any argument you are required to make, but get your facts straight.  Argue as passionately as your conscience dictates, but do it with specific recommendations and rationales. 

There are enough problems and complexity facing us; roll up your sleeves and help us.  Don’t sit on the sidelines and throw brickbats.

Felix Angulo

Felix Angulo, 75, of Charles Town, West Virginia, formerly of Powhatan, died January 4, 2010.

He is survied by his wife of 41 years, Wilhelmina Angulo; two sons, Michael Angulo of California, E A Angulo of Henrico; one daughter, Corinna Sadler of Charles Town, West Virginia; five brothers, two sisters and five grandchildren.

Funeral services were held Jan. 7, 2010 at the Bennett and Barden Funeral Home with interment in the Powhatan Community Cemetery.

Emma M. Creed

Emma M. Creed, 76, of Powhatan, went to be with the Lord on January 29, 2010. She is survived by four children, Donald, Roy and Thomas Snider, all of Waynesboro and Susan Creed of Amelia; on grandchild; devoted friends, Paule Cable of Powhatan; Shawndell Gilliam of Cartersville and many church friends and family.

The family received friends Monday at Bennett and Barden Funeral Home, where funeral services were held Tuesday at 2 p.m. Interment Full Gospel Church Cemetery.

Joel Kenneth Meade

Joel Kenneth Meade, 76, of The Villages, Fla., formerly of Chesterfield, Va, passed away Jan. 18, 2010. He was retired from Philip Morris after many years of service. He was preceded in death by his first wife and mother of his two children, Nell Evans Meade, and brother Horace Meade. He is survived by his mother, Bessie Meade, his wife, Robin M. Meade, children, Joel Gregory Meade (Tina Waller), Robin Rasnake (Ed), six grandchildren, Linda Rowland (Jonathan), Monica Basham (Chad), Shelly Becker (Carl), Samantha Meade, Rebecca Waller and Kenneth Rasnake; seven great grandchildren Hannan and Lydia Rowland, Allison Basham, Johnathan and Cassidy Becker, Halie and Shawn Gerstman; three sisters, Sue Martin, Shelva Meade and Shirley Hill; four brothers Bruce, Earl, Claude and James Meade, as well as a host of other loving family and friends. Funeral services were held Friday, Jan. 22, 2010 at Southside Baptist Church in Chesterfield.

Interment was at Dale Memorial park where he was placed next to his first wife Nell Meade. Memorial contributions may be made to Cornerstone Hospice, 601 Casa Bella, The Villages, Fla. 32162.

Earnie C. Carroll

Earnie C. Carroll, 88, of Powhatan, son of the late Sturgil and Ollie Carroll, died January 1, 2010. He is survived by his wife, Shirley J. Carroll; three daughters, Susan Carter (Brent), Linda Mitterer (David), all of Mechanicsville, and Patty Miller (Jack), of Powhatan; three sisters, three brothers; four stepchildren, Vicky Welch (Jerry), Debby Lee Ventura, Becky Surowicz (Stanly), and David Dunn, all of Richmond; mother of his children, Gloria Fussell; six grandchildren, one great- grandchild, nine step- grandchildren and six step- great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by one daughter, Bonnie Faye Carroll; four brothers and two sisters. Mr. Carroll was a veteran of WWII in Normandy at Omaha Beach, and a member of VFW Post 10570, Powhatan. The family received friends Sunday at the Bennett & Barden Funeral Home, 3215 Anderson Hwy. (Rt.60), Powhatan, and services were held 1 p.m. Monday.

Interment Grove Cemetery, Cumberland. Memorial contributions may be made to Bon Secours Hospice, 8580 Magellan Pkwy. Richmond, Va. 23227.

Linda Lee Connor

Linda Lee Connor, 66, of Powhatan, went to be with the Lord December 31, 2009. She is survived by her husband of 43 years, Tom Connor; three sons, David Connor and wife, Tricia, Jeffrey Connor, and Tim Connor and wife, Sarah; four grandchildren, Ashlyn, Jordan, Braeden, and Caelyn; two brothers, Rick and Mark Croushore; and a sister, Rydene Stevenson.

A celebration of her life was held Saturday, January 9 at Beulah UMC. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Beulah UMC Memorial Fund, 6930 Hopkins Road, Richmond, Va. 23234.

Betty Holland Fischer

Betty Holland Fischer, 61, of Midlothian, passed away December 26, 2009 at Johnston-Willis Medical Center. She was born in Suffolk, the daughter of the late Minnie Butler and Frank Duke Holland Sr.

Mrs. Fischer was a graduate of Medical College of Virginia and a registered nurse with the Powhatan County Health Department. She was a member of South Quay Baptist Church. Left to cherish her memory are her son, Richard Robertson of Midlothian; two grandchildren, Justin and Savannah Robertson; and two brothers, Frank D. Holland Jr. and John M. Holland, both of Suffolk. The funeral was conducted at Wright Funeral Home, Franklin, with the Rev. Dr. Roger Crump officiating. Interment followed in Poplar Spring Cemetery, Franklin.

The family suggests memorials be made to your local American Cancer Society.

Jean T. Kidd

Jean T. Kidd, 80, of Powhatan, widow of James L. Kidd, went to be with her Lord December 27, 2009. She is survived by five children, Dale Kidd (Robin) of Dalton, Georgia, Beverly Flournoy (James) of Richmond, Paul Kidd (Lynette) of Fayetteville, Georgia, Naomi Golding (Karl) of Powhatan, Barbara Bruno (Scott) of Livingston, New York; three brothers, six sisters, 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She was a longtime member of Branches Baptist, Open Door Baptist Church and Mt. Moriah Baptist Church.

The family received friends at the Bennett & Barden Funeral Home, 3215 Anderson Hwy. (Rte. 60), Powhatan.

Funeral services were held at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church. Interment Virginia Veterans Cemetery, Amelia.

Rolling “Ronald” Clarke of Powhatan, departed this life December 6, 2009. 

Ronald was preceded in death by his father, Richard Clarke, Sr. and sister, Maxine Shelton. He is survived by his wife, Connie M. Clarke, two daughters, Patsy Clarke and Tarius Sims (Norman Jr.); Five grandchildren, Donae Johnson, Kristen, Kiya, Norman, III, and Nyla Sims; mother, Mary F. Clarke; brother, Richard Clarke, Jr.; three uncles; three sisters in law, Shirley Johnson, Barbara Brown and Lula Clarke; four brothers in law, Tim Shelton, Larry Shelton, Clyde Johnson and Edward Johnson and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends, among them, devoted best friends, Charles Morris, William Bates, and Rondi Jefferson. 

Remains rested at Mimms Funeral Home, 1827 Hull St.  Funeral service were held Thursday, December 10, 2009 at First Antioch Baptist Church, Powhatan, Va. Rev. Len Cuttino, officiating.  Interment church cemetery.

Elder Charles F. Cox Sr., passed away December 9, 2009 at 10:30 p.m.

He served in the U.S. Navy during WWII and later became an ordained minister, serving as pastor of Apostolic Faith Church in Saluda, Va. for over 20 years. Elder Cox is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Lois Cox; and a family of two daughters, Gayzelle (William) Taylor Sr. and Jennifer Burrell; three sons, Charles Jr., Vernon (Elizabeth), and Garry (Faye) Cox; seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; two brothers, Bishop Lindbergh (Mildred) and Deacon Richard (Glena) Cox. Homegoing services were held at Refuge Assembly of Yahweh in his native home, Powhatan, Va., on Tuesday, December 15 at 2 p.m., Dr. C. Lewis Motley officiating and Elder Nezer Yarborough eulogizing.

Professional services entrusted to White-Tidewater Funeral Home, Jamaica, Va.

Margaret (Peggy) Palmore age 99, widow of Joseph Guyon, passed away on December 8, 2009.

She is survived by her sons, Douglas, his wife Nancy and John, his wife Carolyn and four grandchildren, six great and two great, great grandchildren. She was a graduate of Bryant and Stratton Business College in Buffalo, New York. She worked as a bookkeeper and insurance agent. An avid historian, she wrote many historical articles for the local newspapers and historical periodicals. She published her second book, Powhatan Pathways – Homes, History, Structures and Stories” in 2008. She was a docent at the Governor’s Mansion in Richmond for 12 years. She resided at “Provost”, the Palmore family home for over 75 years.

A Memorial Service will be held at Providence Presbyterian Church on Monday, Dec. 21 at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Providence Church, 1950 Ridge Road, Powhatan, VA; The Powhatan Historical Society, P.O. Box 562, Powhatan, VA; and The St. Francis/ Emma Foundation, 5004 Cartersville Road, Powhatan, VA 23139.

Joseph Pizzuto, 88, a WWII veteran and longtime resident of Powhatan, Va., died Wednesday, December 2, 2009.

He was born on March 19, 1921 in Youngstown, Ohio, the eldest of 11 children of John and Sofia Pizzuto. He is survived by three daughters, Joann Browder of Midlothian, Va., Elaine Pizzuto and husband, Don Smith, of Cumberland, Va., and Teresa Dahmer and husband, Travis, of Middleburg, Va.; siblings, Lucy Patasce of Youngstown, Ohio, Rocco and Georgia Pizzuto of Bremerton, Wash., Theresa Zukosky of Brandenton, Fla., William J. Pizzuto of Canfield, Ohio, and Yolanda Wilson of Mesa, Ariz.; grandchildren, Dr. W. Douglas Browder and wife, Dr. Jennifer W. Browder, of Suffolk, Va., Lee-Ann B. Falvo and husband, Mark, of Midlothian, Va.; four great-grandchildren, Logan and Olivia Falvo, Wyatt and Emma Browder; longtime friends, Wayne and Jean Vaughan of Powhatan, Va. and D.E. Mosman; his much- loved dog, Zoe; and all members of the Powhatan County Jehovah Witness Kingdom Hall, where he was a longtime member.

Contributions in Joe’s memory should be made to your favorite charity.