2 supervisors will seek re-election; 3 unsure By Amanda Isley • Staff writer
WARM SPRINGS - General elections are still a good seven months away, but members of the Bath County Board of Supervisors are fully aware of their four-year terms coming to a conclusion this year. Nevertheless, most of the five officials remain undecided as to whether they will seek re-election this fall.
The deadline for registering as a candidate is June 12. Supervisors Percy Nowlin and Stuart Hall are the only two prepared to announce their intentions to run for another term. Richard Byrd and Cliff Gilchrest, chairman, are on the fence. Jon Trees hasn't made a final decision, but says he is leaning toward seeking office again.
Some believe they will have competition in elections this year; all are adamant about the work ahead on behalf of Bath County citizens.
Percy Nowlin
Nowlin is finishing up his second consecutive term representing the Cedar Creek District and says he expects to face opposition this fall.
If elected, one issue on his list of priorities is water - the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality is beginning to place more restrictions on using springs as a source of water, which is common in Bath.
"Federal and state grants are drying up," he noted, which means it will become more difficutlt to pay for water and sewer projects.
Virginia Department of Transportation funding cuts, which affect secondary road improvements in Bath, is also high on his list. "That's going to take all the political skill we can muster," he said.
The next board faces a number of other challenges, he said. Nowlin believes the job market in Bath seems to be shrinking. "Every time The Homestead is sold, there is a loss of jobs because more people go to part-time, and full-time jobs are cut," he said.
He hopes more access to high-speed Internet will allow residents to work from home or start businesses. "I take the position of trying to provide more jobs, particularly for the local people and secondly, to keep some of our kids," he said.
Another hurdle for county governance is declining tax revenue from Dominion Power's pumped storage station. This fiscal year (2006-07), the county took in $1.2 million less in tax revenue and anticipates another $800,000 drop for 2007-08.
"The problem is, as local value goes up, Dominion is going to pay less," he said. "To keep losses at a minimum, we need to go to more frequent (property) reassessments."
Other concerns included drainage issues in downtown Hot Springs, and a reduction in revenue from national forest lands.
Overall, Nowlin hopes the board can continue "to provide reasonable services for (citizens) while also keeping taxes down."
Despite the challenges, Nowlin is pleased with the progress this board has made. "We've gotten a lot accomplished," he says. "Routier Hill sewer was taken over by Warm Springs; we refinanced the county debt and saved about $62,000; the retirement home should be ready in April - and I'm really pleased with that because it has turned out to be such a nice facility," he said.
Nowlin's wife, Virginia, serves on the retirement home commission overseeing the project.
In addition, the board secured a $1 million grant from the Virginia Housing Development Authority under the direction of former county administrator Claire Collins to renovate the Cedar Creek trailer park and construct the wastewater treatment plant. "We need to remember to give credit to Claire Collins. She got a state grant for a trailer park, which had never been done before."
Crowdertown's water line expansion continues, and will be extended further than originally proposed due to an agreement with Gilchrest to dedicate $100,000 previously allocated to the Millboro Springs water project.
"A lot of credit and thanks needs to go to my fellow board members," Nowlin said. "All these accomplishments were achieved by the board," he said.
The job of a supervisor, Nowlin said, requires a huge commitment in time for which board members receive an annual stipend of $4,800 ($400 per month). They are also eligible for the same health benefits as county employees.
"I've gained a tremendous appreciation for the people, and the hardships we face as a board while trying to preserve the qualities of Bath that everybody loves," Nowlin said.
Stuart Hall
Hall is serving his eighth, non-consecutive term on the board representing the Williamsville District. He lost a bid for re-election about 16 years ago, but has otherwise been a 32-year fixture in that seat.
Hall says he intends to run for his ninth term in order to see some projects through and ensure the people of the county are taxed fairly and manageably, he said. "I think we've got unfinished business. We have to fund the schools and complete the building project at the high school, and managing growth will be most important in order to keep the county as beautiful as it is," he said.
Hall feels that loss of revenue from Dominion Power pumped storage station is the greatest challenge that has faced this board, and will continue to present obstacles in the future.
In addition, this board will review the revised comprehensive plan in order to ensure it is representative of the majority of residents' preferences, he said.
Hall said the county needs to implement infrastructure fees for developers in order to ensure county services aren't being usurped.
He believes prospective board candidates should be intimately familiar with the county, its residents and their ability to pay taxes.
He, too, believes revenue for county services will be tough to come by, but isn't sure more frequent property reassessments are the answer. "It really puts stress on our local elderly and the young people who are just starting out," he said.
Richard Byrd
Byrd says he's still debating whether he will run for office this November, and won't make that decision until after he's discussed it with his constituents in the Valley Springs District.
He is now serving his fourth consecutive term, and agrees the biggest challenge facing a new board is declining revenue. "It relates back to reassessments," he said. "We can't afford to continue to do reassessments every six years and county taxpayers can't afford to pay 40-50 percent increases."
Byrd believes the soon-to-open retirement home has been a major accomplishment for this board, as well as the BCHS renovation project, which was "probably 10 years overdue," and Valley Elementary School renovations.
Byrd feels hiring Bonnie Johnson as county administrator after Collins left the job has also been an accomplishment.
He commends Gilchrest and Trees, the two newest board members when the term began in 2004. "I think they learned a lot and have done very well, at times in a difficult environment," Byrd said.
Aside from the time commitment, Byrd believes potential supervisors should also have financial skills, an understanding of state law, and the ability to work as a team with colleagues."This is not a one meeting a month deal, and you have to understand that you're not going to win every time," he said. On the other hand, "It is a great feeling to know you're giving back to your community."
Cliff Gilchrest
Gilchrest, into the third year of his first board term, is wrestling with the decision of whether to run for several reasons, he said. Gilchrest represents the Millboro District, and serves as board chair this year.
Many of his goals for Millboro have not yet been accomplished, he said, such as finding a good water source in Millboro Springs, attracting another industry to the industrial park, and finding a use for the old Millboro school or its property.
He says he is not sure if the residents in his district want him to run again, he added.
Looking ahead, Gilchrest said a main challenge for the next board, aside from paying for county services, is developing a more open, collaborative relationship with the school board. "It's something we all need to work toward. We all need to be realistic in what we can and cannot do."
He also hopes the next board will provide careful scrutiny of the comprehensive plan and land use regulations.
Gilchrest advocates raising environmental awareness and promoting education as a function of the supervisors' leadership. "The environmental integrity of the county is dependent on all of us and what we can do individually and collectively to be good stewards," he said.
He considers the contract between the county and Warm Springs Investment Co. LLC an accomplishment that has set high standards for development.
Understanding county finances, he says, is a characteristic any supervisor needs. "I'm still learning about the county budget process, which is one of our biggest responsibilities, and I have never felt knowledgable enough and probably never will," he said.
Jon Trees
Trees has not made a final decision on becoming a board candidate, but he is "leaning toward running," he says, and hopes to make a final decision by May 1. Trees is serving his first term and represents the Warm Springs District.
He, too, believes declining county revenue is the next board's biggest hurdle. "We've become entirely too dependent on revenue from Dominion," he said.
County staff turnover, Trees noted, has also been difficult to stabilize. Supervisors have had to fill the positions of county administrator, county planner, parks and recreation director, and building inspector, to name a few, he added.
Implementing the state-mandated E-911 system has been a struggle this term, but Trees hopes it can be accomplished in an affordable manner.
Trees is particularly pleased with the board's role recently in convincing VDOT to keep both headquarters in Bath County open, in addition to VDOT's widening of Route 39 West at the state line and the installation of a guard rail to keep travlers safe along that road.
While other supervisors say the relationship between the board and school board members has been strained, Trees says it has improved over the past three years. "I personally have come to better understand their needs," he said.
He also pointed out the county has been able to fund all Bath department requests fairly without a tax increase during this term. "In today's society, that's quite an accomplishment."
Being elected as a supervisor, Trees says, is about "serving the people of the county."
The main goal of this board and future boards should be to "continually fund the needs of the county in a responsible manner," he said.
Trees feels his experience so far has been positive. "It's brought a lot of self-satisfaction in helping make Bath County a better place. On the other side of the coin, it can be extremely frustrating, but it's been a privilege and an honor to serve the people of Bath and I will continue to do so," he said.
He expressed admiration for board members who have served consecutive terms. "To do it, you truly have to have the heart of a public servant."
Registration deadline is June 12 for the Nov. 6 election. Call the registrar's office at 839-7266 for more information.
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