Speaking of quaint mayhem …

Prince Georgians may be riled up …

Utility rates raised at the last Board of Supervisors meeting:

The Board of Supervisors raised utility rates by 5% on water and 7.5% on wastewater.  The purpose is to continue to the renovation of existing infrastructure and plan for expansion of county services in certain areas.  This follows on the heels of a rather sizeable increase in price the year before.

Most Prince George residents are on well and septic,  so only those limited areas with county services will be affected and the projection is that it will only raise the average user’s bill by $1.24.

Real Estate increase in the future?

The BOS will hold a public hearing on April 24th to consider raising the real property rate by as much as 5 cents on the hundred with the express purpose to devote that increase towards the building of one or two new elementary schools to replace LL Beazley and Walton.  The County originally agreed to replace one school at this time at a cost of 7 to 9 million dollars.  Subsequent discussion revealed that there was no site selected and obviously no engineering or architectural studies at this point.

 

Beazley Dictionaries
Prince George Rotarians with The Readers at LL Beazley Elementary School 2017

 

 

Tensions may run a tad high in this otherwise sedate rural county.

March 9 Further Consideration of District 2 BOS Appointment

Board of Supervisors again takes up consideration of district 2 interim appointment …

The BOS will again consider the interim appointment of a District 2 Supervisor tonight at 6:00 p.m,  to fill the seat left vacant when Henry Parker died in late February.  Parker had been on the BOS 36 years and for many embodied the way Prince George should remain …

Now enter 13 Prince Georgians some African-American, some women, some professionals, some tradesmen …

Of the 13, two women and one man were nominated by the divided Board,   but none could garner the three votes necessary to receive the appointment.  The matter was then tabled to be considered tonight, March 9, in the budget work session at 6 p.m.

The only committed Parker protege on the Board, Alan Carmichael, secured only his one vote for his nominee Reid Foster.  Though a past Supervisor it is unlikely that Foster will receive two more votes.  The only vote Carmichael may have been able to persuade toward Foster during the week-long interim is Jerry Skalsky but Skalsky has a nominee of his own, Marlene Waymack.  Switching the Skalsky vote to Foster would not result in Foster’s appointment which would still be one vote short.

If Foster is a non-starter that leaves two questions … will Waymack or Minor be able to garner the one more vote needed to secure the nomination?  Or will the Board reach into the remaining pool of 9 to find a compromise candidate?

So will Skalsky switch his vote to Minor allowing him to be part of the majority and result her appointment?  She is formerly the Finance Director of  Prince George County, a professional financial consultant to many local governments, and a recognized leader in the field of local government financial governance. This may be scary for Skalsky. Minor would not be a Supervisor in the mold of Parker.

Though unlikely, Waymack may be the compromise of the three nominees if Skalsky doesn’t forsake his support for her candidacy.  She is well connected, old Prince George, and would likely be a Parkerite. Carmichael could vote for her if Foster has no chance of securing the nomination.  That would leave only needing a vote from Robertson or Gandel to secure her appointment.

If Waymack cannot be compromised upon by Gandel or Robertson and if Foster is out then the Board could reach into the remaining pool of 9 candidates to find a compromise candidate.

Attend the meeting tonight and see what happens.