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Schwartz seeking seat on board
BY ANNE ADAMS • STAFF WRITER
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MONTEREY - Leo Schwartz of Doe Hill has sought a seat on Highland's board of supervisors for about 20 years. This year he returns as a candidate "for the same reasons that I'm a member of the Ruritan club - I want to help my fellow citizens and the people of the community," he said. "I believe some things need to be done differently in the county and I haven't liked the direction that things have been headed."
Schwartz said with his experience as a livestock producer and business owner, he can bring common sense to the leadership role, and above all, a sense of fairness, which he believes is one of the "most important issues" in this year's election.
"It's possibly the major issue because it covers so much ground. Too often we've seen conflict of interest, secrecy, favoritism, and disregard for people's rights. Fairness has been neglected, in my opinion. Fairness means making an effort to fully inform people about the issues. It means listening, not ignoring, or shoving things down people's throats, and that means respect for their views even if you disagree with them. Fairness is plain old common decency."
For example, he points to the citizens and businesses of McDowell, noting they've just had their water rates doubled. "After all these years, the water still tastes like a chemical cocktail. The county has on the agenda, and has had on the agenda for some time, to mandate water hook-ups in McDowell. I don't think any of that is fair, the whole way that's been handled. How about a few bags of trash per month for a single person household for a few hundred dollars a year? I don't think that's fair at all. I think fairness is one key to good government and I think we should try it for a change," he said.
"One of our most basic democratic ideas is due process. Due process is based on the idea of fairness. I just don't see that the people of this county have been treated fairly, particularly in the last four years."
Duties of board
Schwartz says one of the most neglected and important duties of the board is protecting the rights of local citizens.
"You hear candidates talk about how important it is to follow the law, or to enforce the law, but you hear nothing about protecting their rights. Much of what comes out of Washington, D.C. and Richmond, conflicts with our rights and freedoms," he said.
"Supervisors take an oath of office to protect our constitutional rights yet I had one of the incumbents tell me he will not consider the constitution when he makes decisions ... and by the way he told me that on Dec. 15, the anniversary of the day of our Bill of Rights. So chew on that one for awhile and it should be clear why so many voters are upset with what's going on."
Schwartz feels prepared to serve on the board, having kept himself informed on federal, state, and local issues that affect Highland County. "I keep up with what's going on," he said. "I'm in constant contact with (Del.) Chris Saxman, (Sen.) Emmett Hanger; constant contact with people in the county about various issues."
Schwartz said while he doesn't want to assess the current supervisors personally, he does have concerns about their actions, and sees in particular some conflicts of interest that he doesn't believe have served the county well."The way they have acted has been seen as a conflict of interest. There's been an utter disregard for people's rights bordering on arrogance," he said. "I keep hearing the word arrogance from people in the county that I speak to, and I can't help but agree with them. There's just been an attitude of arrogance, of shoving things down people's throats. The conflict of interest issue: when you have a supervisor building an addition on the jail," he said, referring to incumbent Jerry Rexrode, a contractor, "I see that as a conflict of interest. Supervisors should have had the good sense to avoid that situation, not only the one who built the addition on the jail, but the other two never should have permitted that to happen. It's not OK to bend the rules because someone is allegedly helping the county save money out of the goodness of his heart. If you keep bending the rules they get broken. Honest officials make mistakes. And that's why we have a few common sense rules. Let's use them to avoid those mistakes, or worse. Why create a situation that could lead to something worse than a mistake?"
Schwartz says there is nothing in his personal or professional life that would lead to a conflict of interest if he were elected.
As for day-to-day county operations, Schwartz said he would want to keep in close touch with county staff and sees that as a supervisor's responsibility. "I may as well say it here right now. I was opposed, and still have a number of concerns about the need for a county administrator in this county," he said. "I'm concerned because Highland is a small county. We have only 2,500-2,600 people, 1,900 voters. If my figures are correct, our administrative budget jumped from approximately $85,000 to $120,000 or thereabouts - took a tremendous jump. It's an added layer of bureaucracy I don't think we need. I think the supervisors should be answerable to the people. I don't think we should have an intermediary. I want to make it clear this is not a commentary on (county administrator) Roberta Lambert's ability to do the job or not to do the job. This is strictly commentary on whether this county needs an added layer of bureaucracy or not. There was no public hearing held on that and the majority of people that I've talked to have similar questions about the need for a county administrator."
Taxes are a burden
Schwartz has long been an advocate for reducing county spending and keeping the tax burden on citizens to a minimum. "I've been accused of pushing the tax hot button ... and I'm still pushing it. People are not fooled by bare bones budgets and farmers' budgets," he said. "In 1990, county expenditures were $3.16 million. In 2007, expenditures are just shy of $7 million. More than double. Since 2000, just seven years ago, real property tax receipts have almost doubled from $1.4 million to $2.3 million - 195 percent. Has our population doubled? Have wages, or the price of calves doubled? You want to keep young people in the county; you want to attract new business and jobs so they can raise families. Yet the supervisors are talking about a new tax on business and professionals plus higher property taxes again next year.
"Each time you raise taxes, you take power from the people and you give it to government. It has too much power now. Taxes should fund essentials, not luxuries like swimming pools. Supervisors should work to generate tax deductions for every property owner and resident instead of generating tax breaks for owners of distant corporations. High taxes hurt civic organizations, churches, fire and rescue, which depend on voluntary donations."
Schwartz believes county citizens can work together to find solutions and protect citizens. Last year when state officials proposed closing the Virginia Department of Transportation headquarters at McDowell, he wrote a petition signed by about 450 people in opposition to the move. "Several of us worked pretty hard on that (petition)," he said. "I sent the copies to Chris Saxman, Emmett Hanger and (VDOT officials), along with personal letters to each of them. I spoke at the public hearing in Harrisonburg and I spent hours contacting legislators and VDOT officials ... our efforts working together kept the McDowell VDOT headquarters open. I think that was quite a victory. As a supervisor, I would continue to work for and support common sense efforts that benefit our local economy."
A form of land use taxation for Highland is one of the issues Schwartz believes citizens should work for, even if it takes fighting for a change in legislation at the state level. "I've publicly supported a land use tax for 20 years," he said. "To date, no board of supervisors has been willing to seriously look at it. It's been brushed aside with 'We can't afford it.' Many assessments tripled last year yet we continue to pay lip service to agriculture and forestry. I believe a land use tax could be possible without putting an extra burden on residential and business owners, if supervisors weren't building swimming pools, hiring recreation directors, or hoarding $1.5 million of taxpayers' money in a special account. If people want agriculture in Highland, let's give this some serious study and discussion and put the facts and figures out on the public table. If we need to make changes to the Virginia Code, let's pursue that."
Swimming pool
I'm not opposed to a swimming pool," Schwartz said about the project under way at the school campus. "What I'm opposed to: it's the supervisors' swimming pool, supervisors' federal pork barrel pool."
Schwartz has long been an advocate of keeping government out of citizens' pursuits, and this project, paid for in part with state and federal money, will tie up county land and prevent Highlanders from having control over the pool and land. "If citizens want to build their own privately funded pool where the taxpayers are kept completely out of the picture now and in the future, I think that's a fine idea. But the way this project has been crammed down our throats is just one more example of an arrogant, callous, disregard for county residents and taxpayers," he said. "The supervisors have refused to make all the facts public, to tell the people the truth. If it's such a great idea, why have they hidden the truth and deliberately misled the people? The grant is federal, from the National Park Service. It's not a state grant. The National Park Service mandates that the property must be used as a pool in perpetuity. That means forever. Forty years from now when that pool must be rebuilt, and by the way these pools have a lifetime of 40-50 years ... someone would be forced to pay the bill.
"The pool would be come part of the 'national recreation estate.' We would be forced to comply with dozens of federal regulations, mandates and statutes," he said. "We would not have control of the land or the pool. If a busload of gays, lesbians and transvestites from Washington, D.C. wants to use that pool, you better put out the welcome sign. I'm being a little bit facetious there, but basically, anybody who wants to use that pool, we have no control over it. We cannot discriminate against anybody. When you hear supervisors crying the blues about mandates, just remember how hypocritical their actions have been."
Wind energy
Schwartz has been opposed to the Highland New Wind Development power utility since the idea first arose several years ago. "Industrial wind power is wrong for Highland County," he said. "Like ethanol, wind power is a scam. The majority of Americans are forced to pay higher taxes and higher electric bills while a few people roll in cash. Politicians milk it for all it's worth. In my opinion, that's wrong.
"The Supreme Court decision solved nothing. Even if the project was stopped tomorrow, the mess would be with us for years to come. All the time, energy, emotion and money could have been put to better use. Long-term liabilities far outweigh any phantom short-term benefits. Our county needs stability gained from productive growth, not stagnation from government handouts ... There are people that claim Mr. McBride (HNWD owner) has a right to do what he wants with his property. They forget to finish the sentence: as long as he does not trample on the rights of others. People claim $200,000 per year in additional taxes would lower property taxes. Some day hell may freeze over, too. Tax receipts have gone up every year, but when have we had property taxes lowered? I don't know what the options may be next year, and I can't predict what could change in the coming months, but if elected, I would do my best to minimize harm to the county."
If HNWD had to reapply for a permit in Highland, or another company applied for a similar project, Schwartz said he would treat them fairly as a supervisor and consider all the aspects of such an application. "If the issue came back to the county and the board of supervisors was asked to start from scratch, I would have an obligation to hear both sides of it all over again, an obligation to look at it just like a judge would, I think - fairly and without prejudice," he said. "Having said that, I've heard all the arguments. I've read them, I've studied them, I've considered them in great detail probably more than many other people in the county ... Unless there's something new that I haven't heard of, I could not support the project. Unless there were some new argument or new facts that have not presented, and I can't conceive of what that might be, I don't see anything that would change my mind. I'm not trying to play politician, but if you're an elected official, you can't be fair to one person and not to the other ... Mr. McBride has rights and he deserves to be treated fairly also."
Growth, development
Schwartz believes Highland County will continue to grow in spite of ideas and projects that garner opposition here. "In my opinion, the real question is whether we will benefit from free choices made by individuals, or whether special interest politics will be allowed to control and lead us into disasters we've seen in other places, other areas," he said. "More regulation is not a solution. All that does is create hardships and higher costs as we try to make a go of it here. Even worse it creates bigger, more powerful socialistic government. I am for private growth, keeping in mind a critical point: each person has rights, which must be considered and protected. Growth does not mean someone has the power to trample on his neighbors.
"If you look at rural America in years past, family farms, business, trades and small industries as well as social, religious and educational institutions thrived in almost every community. Years of disastrous federal, state and local policy have resulted in economic stagnation," he said. "Look at what happened to our post offices, polling places, country stores, civic clubs, emergency services, schools and churches. The glue that binds many rural communities has been dissolving. Fortunately we have folks here in Highland who have the backbone to act independently and to move forward in spite of obstacles created by government."
Schwartz said he didn't have any particular kinds of businesses in mind that could be established, but as long as they are solid and privately funded, he could offer support if elected to the board of supervisors. "I'm not prejudiced toward one business or another," he said. "Certainly agriculture-related business would fit in very well, I think. Frank Marks' camera business is a wonderful example of what works in this county. I have said to many people over the years that Highland County would be the ideal location for a small college. Whether that's economically feasible, I don't know, but there are many small colleges throughout the Appalachian region that seem to thrive."
Forestry-related businesses, too, would be a good fit, he said. "I would love to see a couple sawmills back in this county ... I would have to take an objective look at all sides of the issue, but those are just a couple of things that have crossed my mind."
Promoting agriculture
Schwartz, a long-time farmer here, has historically supported good means of promoting and encouraging agricultural pursuits, and says if elected, that would remain a priority. Land use taxation would be one of the ideas he'd look into, but he's also concerned about the way land is assessed for its value here. There should be a way to tie agriculture and forestry production to the productive value of land, he said.
"That's what we're getting at when we talk about land use taxation. Tying taxes to the productive capacity of the land. Right now it's an assessment judgment, and speaking of assessments ... it's difficult to be critical of the assessors and I'm not trying to be critical of the assessors or the board of equalization, but the assessors didn't look at three-quarters of the property (during the last review)," he said.
Schwartz also believes farmers can get some relief by minimizing the regulatory burdens on agriculture. "We've got too many federal and state regulations; we don't need to be imposing more at the county level. Absolutely keep regulations to a minimum. We've got things in the congressional pipeline right now that are going to be potentially devastating for agriculture."
Schwartz would also support a county processing facility, but only if it's privately operated. If there were government subsidies or grants attached, he says he would be wary of the idea. "I would have some grave questions about that, if that's the case.
"If something can stand on its own two feet, I think that's great. If it can't, why should the taxpayers come to the rescue? I think a slaughterhouse or processing facility is a great idea but I think if investors or banks aren't willing to finance it, that raises a red flag right there. If private investors and banks are not willing to venture their capital that says to me that it's a shaky deal and that the taxpayers should be very concerned about getting involved in something like that."
A change in leadership
Schwartz has been characterized as extremist over the years on some of his positions. He says, "All of us have faults and I don't claim to be perfect," he said. "If I'm elected, I'm sure I will make mistakes. But I think I have the decency and the common sense to be able to admit I made a mistake and to try and correct it."
If elected, he would like to see a return to cooperation and feels supervisors should lead the county in that direction. "Supervisors must work to get things back on the right track to bring fairness and trust back into the way the county is run, and to reaffirm that traditional ideas of local government where the voice of the citizen is heard," he said. "That will not be easy, but I believe it must be a priority. There are times when events bring neighbors together, when we must consider where we are headed and what is important, when cooperation rather than conflict becomes a necessity. I feel certain there will be changes for the better in the days and years ahead."
About the candidate Leo Schwartz, 58 Full-time farmer in Highland for the last 24 years Formely owned his own a Triumph and BMW motorcycle dealership in Albemarle and Greene counties 17-year member Stonewall Ruritan Club, where he has served on its board, as treasurer, and as president Former committee chair for Boy Scout Troop 188 Founder, Virginia Land Rights Coalition, a loose knit group of about 100 people who research and discuss issues related to property rights
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