Opinion
Of course, they did not give the horse rink that JJ Eaton is in charge of away to the IDA. In a meeting last year, they stated they would give a lease to JJ’s organization at low cost to keep the horse rink for the horse show events. At the same time, they agreed to do the same with Southwest Virginia Star Project and the Swords Creek Elementary school. The other night they voted to give Swords Creek Elementary to the IDA. Thus, forcing the charity group of the Star Project out of the building. Of course, their dad is not the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors.
What is more troubling is no discussion, no reason to the public as to why they are going back on their word? In speaking with the Star Project, they informed me that they had mistakenly let their 501C3 non-profit status lapse and were then told they had to leave. The problem with the status was corrected very quickly with the state and has been restored.
Apparently, the board is using this as an excuse but that does not explain the lack of transparency with the public. It does not explain why it is so easy going back on their word. This is familiar to the Dante Fire Department using a excuse of some status that does not matter in the big picture of things. The Fire Department did not need corporate status to operate as a fire department, and the charity organization quickly fixed their situation with the tax-exempt status. I wonder what business came forward with a deal for elementary school building.
Just like the fire department hardly a word coming from the board as to why they took these actions against a charitable organization. The public deserved better and the charity and the Dante Fire Department deserved better. It seems they go back on their words very frequently. They even go back on motions that were voted on.
The board meeting March 30 was a disaster and an embarrassment for the county. Not only did they threaten the public, go back on their words, but they hurt a charitable organization without almost no explanation at all. Two supervisors, a county administrator and a county attorney should resign for their actions the other night.
County Administrator Lonzo Lester stated everything about the PSA money had been covered and all the money is accounted for. If so, great now let us see how it was accounted for why where their problems with accounting of the funds.
They have prayers before their meetings. God is not in that room when supervisors are lying to the public. They openly lied to us when they voted to have the forensic audit only to against their word.
I am just one citizen, but I would like to know why Swords Creek Elementary was taken away from the Star Project. When are the people going to say enough is enough. We need to know why the county would try to hurt an organization that is simply helping people. People need transparency worse than anything and that is exactly what this board is not giving them.
