LETTER
Money Wasted on Empty School Could Go to EMS
School closed in 2008 but maintenance costs are $110,000 per year.
October 6, 2014
DEAR EDITOR,
Confusion and lack of vision seem to be the normal operating tools of the government in Northampton County, an obvious observation from the September 29 meeting. Why pay a reported $220,000 to DJG Architects for a report on what to do with an old rundown, outdated, energy-hog building that consumes $110,000 yearly just sitting there doing nothing? Which universe has common sense evaporated into?
The DJG report could easily have been performed for $5,000-$8,000 in this day of computerization. Being a retired building contractor, I understand this is one way architects make high salaries when dealing with government bodies, but just why does the Board of Supervisors lack the ability to think this through on their own in the first place?
And what decision was made by the Board of Supervisors at this meeting concerning the Machipongo School? Let it sit there a while longer was the decision.
We don’t know what to do? We have plenty of taxpayer money to spend, they must think. Let’s just keep spending $9,166 a month to let the building sit and deteriorate. This is a welcome sign to Shore visitors and perspective investors of the collapsing economy and the declining Northampton County population. Letting the building sit vacant costs $2,291 per week, in one of the poorest and least educated counties in Virginia. Just how is the public being served by these kinds of decisions and activities?
A large part of the EMS issue now under consideration could have been solved with that $220,000. Garages are needed to keep the EMS trucks tucked away so the equipment is out of the inclement weather. If approached creatively, not simply squandering money because it’s the taxpayers’, and friends are making a profit (which is public fraud in some people’s eyes), four separate commercial metal buildings with concrete slabs could have been constructed in Northampton County for approximately $100,000 total! Look at the Randy Custis Memorial Ball Park. Ask Phil Custis how his first metal structure was built for $7.50 a square foot. If the BOS had allocated that $222,000 correctly towards the EMS issue, it would have left $120,000 as an emergency EMS fund to be intelligently used as needed. And it’s the EMS staff that know their needs best. Continuing to jointly use Volunteer Fire Department buildings, as in Nassawadox and Melfa, is an excellent way to buddy up on community needs as opposed to increasing costly and additional ill-conceived bureaucracy and tax burden.
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The rest of the ideas that were being packaged into the old Machipongo School have little economic viability or real need. Just how is Mr. [Charles] McSwain, the highly paid business expert, earning his $125,000 salary plus benefits? For obvious reasons these are times of economic downturn. Common sense and practicable “out of the box” thinking are needed. Only the ill-informed would believe redemption is around the corner by following the same old ideas that that have led this county and country into its decline. If you want to pay more taxes and face uncertain, indecisive, and unwelcome political decisions, by all means come to Northampton County and invest your money.
It’s easy to see that change is coming next election time. The times mandate that we need to think outside the box for solutions to old, long-existing problems — not simply remove well thought out environmental and building guidelines, pack more people into smaller condo spaces, and build, build, build.
When Supervisor Granville Hogg suggested greater visibility for supervisor meetings and closed door decision making, he was shut down at once by his colleagues. Common sense has to be found and reapplied in our uncommon times. The people must be served.
JIM WELCH
Melfa
Letters to the Editor are welcome, and a diversity of opinions is encouraged. Send submissions to [email protected].
Same with the federal government only a million times worse. They have thousands of buildings idle or under-occupied, even new buildings vacant and paying for security and upkeep. They could be sold or rented and the newfound money used to pay down this horrific national debt. Locally, many government buildings are not kept in good repair, with leaking roofs and eventually the destruction of the entire building. I think the beautiful school near Exmore and Willis Wharf was such a sad case.
Yes. What’s transpiring with the Board of Supervisors in Northampton County is a scaled down version of what’s occurring daily on a state and federal level also. It’s not simply concerning old buildings, but involves all levels of government management concerning the People’s trust, security, as in the current case of Ebola and our open borders, and money. There is little control and proper management over an ever expanding bureaucracy. Business deals and key management decisions are made in secrecy, behind closed doors, for the people’s wellbeing of course, yet the government spies upon its citizens and demands greater and greater oversight, which does not one thing to resolve economic or social issues which we plainly see escalating in our daily lives.
The people need to demand greater openness and transparency in Northampton County NOW, not think about it, study it, form a committee to look at it, or review it with counsel. Greater openness was proposed recently by Supervisor Hogg but this was shot down quickly by all of his remaining colleagues. It appeared they certainly didn’t want themselves on visual record as is standard procedure in other locations. Fiscal responsibility needs to be addressed and resolved concerning all levels of county operation. If you notice every time you see a picture of a politician, you see a smiling face, white teeth and an aura of happiness. I’ve long believed this is because they have the ability to tax the citizens and they spend the money as they please, never having to be accountable for how it’s spent or the prudent use thereof. This old school building is only one small example. The way VDOT performs for example is a much more costly and highly unsatisfactory area of concern on a state level. But as long as we continue to vote people into office because of their color, smile or gift of gab, paying no attention to their past actions, accomplishments or true concern for human kind, the same show will continue.
Why is a person from Accomack County worrying about what Northampton County is doing with its Middle school? Does he want to pay his taxes in Northampton County? Accomack County needs to worry about the garbage on its roadsides and its derelict houses falling all over and let Northampton County taxpayers worry about what their tax dollars are paying for.
Nioaka,
It’s very simple why someone from Accomack County would worry about Northampton County because of the routine and blatant misuse of public tax dollars, thereby creating the false need to increase already high taxes, accompanied by the rapping of the current county Comprehensive Plan for personal gain by a few people that stand in the background “of most” of the Board of Supervisors. Can’t you guess why I’d be concerned? It’s like the current outbreak of the Ebola virus; it spreads quickly unless wiped out. The Shore is a small isolated peninsula after all. This isn’t to say that Accomack County doesn’t have its share of issues, but it’s the BOS in Northampton County that have put this spotlight on themselves in the first place. It’s come about because of their disregard of the trust and fiduciary responsibility that they hold in the public’s name. As the first person’s comment pointed out, this is small time politics as compared to the federal level of waste, pillage and inefficient use of tax dollars. Aren’t you a little upset with what’s been and continues to go on in our country on all levels?
How do you know I or a group I’m involved with doesn’t own property in Northampton County? Did you ever consider that even if I’m not involved currently, I could be interested in investing in Northampton, bringing business and jobs to this county, but certainly, from a prudent business viewpoint, wouldn’t put capital at risk in these uncertain times for the simple reason that the BOS seem to be taking orders from some hidden individuals in their background. Also their past track record of prudently dispensing tax revenue is extremely bad. If Northampton County were a business it would have long ago gone bankrupt. If the BOS continue to go ahead with their current intention to negatively alter the current Comprehensive Plan, which seems like they will, they’ll be generating lawsuits by their actions, which in turn will consume more tax dollars needlessly, while forcing citizens to spend more money to defend the environment as well as our country way of life.
This is the wrong time for the Board of Supervisors to dream of Disneyland development ideas that negatively impact critical ground water quality. Haven’t they noticed that most blue color jobs, and a lot of high-tech ones too have already been exported out of the country. They should be concerned with the rising tidal levels, which impact property value, protecting traditional waterman’s way of livelihood and culture, current farming and horticulture activities. The bottom line is that the Board of Supervisors needs to open their ears and listen to the people in their county, on the Shore. They need to improve greatly their use of existing tax dollars, not look for ways to spend it on expensive “experts” who are not needed for the most part. One last comment. Isn’t it the BOS that’s looking to attract “outside” the county individuals?