Sunshine and roses

Sunshine is the best disinfectant.

Since taking office in 2012 the current Goochland County Board of Supervisors has prided itself on operating in a transparent manner. Closed sessions, rare as the proverbial hen’s teeth, have been used to discuss sensitive economic development issues.

Sometimes, though, closed sessions are used to deal with embarrassing situations away from public scrutiny. On Wednesday, November 8, the supervisors cancelled the closed session on their published agenda and went “warts and all” to address a complaint about remarks District 2 Supervisor Manuel Alvarez, Jr. made on social media last month.

During citizen comment period support for Alvarez was voiced. Goochland Sheriff James L. Agnew said that Alvarez is one of the most engaged elected officials he has ever worked with and believes Alvarez is a wonderful representative of Goochland County. “He is an example of the American success story,” said Agnew. “Born in Cuba, he escaped the Castro Communist Dictatorship  and came here to pull himself up by his bootstraps to get educated and now serves the county.”

District 2 Supervisor Manuel Alvarez, Jr.

Goochland Treasurer Pamela Johnson, who is making steady progress in her recovery from a fall earlier this year, thanked the entire board for its hard work in making Goochland a great county. She recognized Alvarez for supporting her and his dedication to serving the citizens of Goochland.

Anne Mehfoud Rockecharlie said that, as her father was a supervisor in Hanover County, she is all too familiar with the scrutiny placed on people in public office, even before the advent of social media. Alvarez, she said, is highly thought of for his attention to citizens and response to their concerns. “Let’s give this guy a pass. He misspoke,” Rockecharlie said, thanking Alvarez for his service, on behalf of herself and close friend Ann James.

The Board took up the matter in accordance with procedures outlined in its code of ethics, go here http://goochlandva.us/DocumentCenter/View/4279/Code-of-Ethics_2018_Adopted?bidId= for details.

Board Chair Ken Peterson said that the board’s task was not to decide if Alvarez is a good person, but to determine if he violated the policy. Apparently some complaints were sent to the county, “form” letters mostly from addresses in California, objecting to a comment Alvarez made on social media. Alvarez did not identify himself as an elected official, or imply in any way that he was speaking on behalf of the county or board of supervisors.

County Attorney Tara McGee said that she had reviewed the complaint against all provisions of the standards of conduct policy and found that it is not supported. Peterson directed County Administrator John Budesky to draft a response to Alvarez stating that no violation of the ethics policy was found.

Peterson said that the process was uncomfortable, but best handled in open session to be accountable to the highest standards. This matter could have been handled in closed session and swept under the rug as in days of yore.

Budesky shared “roses” in an announcement that Goochland County has earned the Aaa rating, the highest awarded by Moody’s Investors Service. Currently, no jurisdiction with a population less than 75,000 has secured this rating.  Goochland, population approximately 23,000, is the smallest jurisdiction ever to be so honored. Our county is now the smallest county in the entire United States to hold highest bond ratings from two different rating organizations.

Excellent bond ratings do not happen by accident. Budesky said that this is the result of a great deal of hard work by many people and especially thanked Barbara Horlacher, Director of Financial Services for her efforts.

Good bond ratings will enable the county to secure the best rates when it borrows money to build new infrastructure, including a courthouse and elementary school. The ratings also reflect good management of local expenditures and a sound financial position that signals it is a good place to do business.

See http://goochlandva.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=261 for the text of a press release from Goochland County.

Other roses strewn were the delivery of a check for $225,000 from Pet Lovers for the new animal shelter, and that the county’s department of Parks and Recreation received an award for the best new bricks and mortar renovation or addition for the rebirth of Central High School from the Virginia Recreation and Park Society in the population 25,000 and under division. This is the latest in a long string of awards for the department, which has been recognized for parks and other recreational facilities. Visit http://goochlandva.us/236/Parks-Recreation to learn more about recreational opportunities in the county.