A metaphor

The District 2 and 3 town hall meeting, the last of the 2019 fall round, was held at the Central High School Educational and Cultural Complex on October 30.

Current Board of Supervisors’ Chairman, Manuel Alvarez, Jr., District 2, observed that the meeting was the 80^th such session held since he first took office in 2012. He is not running for reelection.

At the start of the meeting, Alvarez presented Goochland County Challenge coins to retiring District 2 School Board Member Kevin Hazzard, who, due to a family illness, was unable to attend; Matt Brewer, District 2 Planning Commissioner, and GOMM.

Hazzard, said Alvarez, was an integral part of the transformation of Goochland Schools. He worked many long hours with the rest of the school board to transform our school division into one worthy of emulation. Hazzard also served on boards outside the county to enhance educational opportunities for all our students.

Brewer is current chair of the Goochland Planning Commission, an appointed body charged with making recommendations about the appropriateness of land use matters.  Brewer was also instrumental in creation of the Goochland Mountain Bike Team whose trails at Leake’s Mill Park, built mostly by volunteers, have become a regional destination for the sport.

Manuel Alvarez, and Matt Brewer who stopped at the meeting after a  Halloween party

Alvarez said that he held his first town hall meeting in 2012 at the cafeteria of Central High School, which had been vacant since the middle school moved out in 2007 and had fallen into a dreadful state of disrepair.

“It was awful,” recalled Alvarez. “We had the doors open and it was full of flies and smelled bad. People told me never to hold a meeting there again. And here we are today,” he said gesturing to the beautiful Eagle auditorium that hosts many events and has even fostered the creation of community theater.

Money had been set aside in the county budget to demolish the old school. Instead, with community input and engagement, Central High School has been reborn as an asset for the entire county.

Central High School could be a metaphor for Goochland County during the past eight years. When our current elected officials first took office, the county, like the old school was a mess. The former treasurer had just been convicted of embezzling public money and was in prison. Property assessments, which generate the bulk of county revenues, continued the decline begun after the 2009 financial crisis. The Tuckahoe Creek Service District debt loomed darkly.

Then an intrepid group of newly elected officials rolled up their sleeves and got to work. To be sure, it was slow going and must have seemed like an impossible task at times.

Some things changed quickly. The antipathy between the supervisors and school board was replaced with cordial collaboration, something unheard of in other places. School budgets were crafted with the amount of money available instead of hostile demands for additional funds. The schools did not “circle the drain” as predicted but soared to new heights of excellence and they’re flying higher.

County finances, which had been a mess, lacking internal controls and oversight, were transformed to such an extent that Goochland now holds two triple A bond ratings and hopes to earn another, the only county of our size to do so. This will enable Goochland, when it borrows to build new schools, fire-rescue stations, and a courthouse, to obtain the best possible interest rates and save the county money.  The TCSD debt was restructured to make it more manageable.  The county has earned so many awards for good fiscal practices, that it’s hard to keep track.

Rising property assessments, and a gracious plenty of new investment in the eastern part of the county made this possible without increasing the basic tax rate. Property in the TCSD pays an additional 32 cents per $100, parcels that qualify for land use taxation pay a pre acre rate determined by the state. (The supervisors could have eliminated the land use option to add several million dollars to county coffers but chose to support our farmers instead.)

As with the renovations and reuse of Central High School, there is more work to be done county wide. Growth pressures in the east end of the county will continue, unless the economy contracts, which presents a different set of challenges. (For a glimpse of the past eight years, look through the last eleven years of GOMM posts.)

Our supervisors and school board members worked countless hours to bring about these changes. Anyone who believes that these offices require a few hours a month are mistaken. Decision making at the local government level is complicated.

As a Dillon Rule state, local governments have only those powers given to them by the General Assembly. For instance, the county has a limited power to regulate the land application of biosolids but cannot prohibit the practice.

Land use matters, perhaps the most important task of a supervisor, are complex. Property owners have the right to petition to develop their land and could sue the county if denied without good reason. The supervisors must balance the consequences of a proposed new development or business with the good of the community. Rezoning applications tend to draw vocal opposition, usually from neighboring property owners. The supervisors must consider the opinions of people who fill the boardroom and the thousands of citizens not there in addition to the overall impact on the county when making decisions. Negotiations with developers to “sweeten the pot” with in kind or monetary for some projects is an important part of this function.

GOMM endorses

On Tuesday, voters will decide if the golden age of Goochland will continue. An indication of how good things are is the small number of contested local offices.

If we indeed want to keep Goochland Rural, we need good Directors for the Monacan Soil and Water Conservation District. Three candidates are seeking two seats. This is a volunteer position.

Jonathan Lyle for one Director seat. He is a tireless and vocal promoter of clean water and healthy soil, which promote successful agriculture.

The other MWSCD director candidates, Ronnie Nuckols, and Sebastian Volcker, will do a good job, choice is hard.

District 1 Supervisor- Susan Lascolette strives to understand all sides of an issue and is not afraid to ask common sense questions and probe for details that could lead to unintended consequences before voting. Susan listens to her constituents and wants their input and believes that government belongs to and works for the citizens. She puts in many hours to serve the citizens of District 1 and Goochland as a whole. She will bring an independent, knowledgeable voice to decisions that face Goochland in the years to come with a continued commitment to fiscal responsibility. Visit https://susanlascolette.com/ and vote to reelect Susan on Tuesday.

District 2 Supervisor- Neil Spoonhower is a candidate who, through his work on the Board of Zoning Appeals, has solid, practical knowledge about land use matters and the judgement to make good decisions for Goochland. Neil took the training from VCU to be certified for this volunteer post. His experience as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) gives him first-hand knowledge that the most vulnerable among us must be protected. Since the start of 2019, Neil attended most county meetings to learn first hand what goes on. Neil was the only candidate to attend county audit committee meetings. He is well-qualified to continue the upward trajectory of Goochland to benefit citizens of District 2 and the entire county. Visit his website https://www.spoonhowerforsupervisor.com/ and please vote “Spoon for supe” on Tuesday.

District 1 School Board- Jennifer Mazza a career and technical education teacher, Jennifer brings current, hands on experience in the value of CTE to all students. Her commitment to fiscal responsibility is vital to the meet the goals of our school division. Visit her website at: http://jennifermazzaforschoolboard.org/ and please vote for Jennifer on Tuesday.

Sheriff -Steven Creasey.

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