Welcome to The Maysville Voice, the newsletter for those who reside and vote in the Maysville District in Buckingham County. I am pleased to bring you much information, links, and resources to inform and engage with you as your County Supervisor.

Update on Lawsuit Involving Electoral Board and Voter Registration Office

On this past Friday at 9 AM, acting in my role as a private citizen, NOT in my role as a County Supervisor, I appeared alongside my legal counsel before a Circuit Court Judge regarding my suit against the Electoral Board and Interim Registrar pertaining to two Open Government/Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests that were sent to the Electoral Board and previous Registrar (who was fired last Tuesday).

This lawsuit has put the Electoral Board on notice that this community is fed up with meetings of one person without a quorum where the former Registrar was hired and where the sole member of the Electoral Board made themselves the Chairman, past questionable hiring practices, former staff treating the public with utter disrespect, the office not swiftly certifying candidates for office, and the Electoral Board struggling to govern for all the people of our county. All of the preceding examples are signs of bad governance, and it is my hope that my lawsuit will change that for the better. Another example bad governance is what happened most recently: allowing a citizen to sign up another citizen — who was not in attendance at the Electoral Board meeting and happens to be the leader of this radical faction — to speak before the Board. This is against their Public Comment Policy, which has changed at least three times since January.

My ultimate hope is that the Electoral Board and their staff will work diligently to regain the trust of the public, notably the poll workers they need to help oversee fair and open elections in Buckingham County—which we have had for many, many years. Do not let these fairy tale claims of fraudulent elections, which have been peddled by the former Interim Registrar and Chairman of the Republican Party, go unchecked.

The two FOIA requests were for documents that should exist and should be easy to fulfill. The first request was for meeting minutes, meeting notices, and other clerical documents that pertain to meetings, emails, correspondence, etc. The second requested information pertaining to, what the Chairman of the local Republican Party was widely distributing, that a questionable outside group stated that 21 percent of all mail-in ballots in the November 2022 election came from voters who reside outside of Buckingham County. Though an independent investigation found that this was more “fake news” that this small faction has been peddling for months, I sought to actually examine the documents that could debunk this fraudulent claim.

Though an extension was granted to the ex-Registrar, my requests went ignored and decried and were not met, and I was threatened with a “convenience fee” charge of $200, which is illegal, and the total bill for the requests totaled more than $700—again, while not providing the requested documents which should exist.

This was the reason behind my lawsuit to seek those documents since the Registrar’s Office was unable to fulfill my requests. In tandem, with the termination of the former Interim Registrar, a new, experienced, and “apolitical” Interim Registrar has been named, and parties to the lawsuit have agreed that before our next court date, which is 10 AM on June 6, the new Interim Registrar would work to fulfill the requests. I welcome this as good news and believe the new Interim Registrar is working in good faith.

During the Friday Emergency Electoral Board meeting, the Board agreed that the position of the permanent Registrar will be advertised on a wide platform, including The Farmville Herald, the County Website, a statewide Electoral Board website and on a platform which is visible to all Registrars and Assistant Registrars across the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Here are some links to the news coverage this issue that a small faction started last winter:

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/virginias-buckingham-county-feels-toll-election-denialism-rcna83319

Endorsing Supervisor Gilliam for Election

Since he has been in office, District Two Supervisor Cameron D. Gilliam, who I am proud to call a friend, has stood up for public education—which is near and dear to me—both in recognition and in funding. He also has supported public safety, public infrastructure (serving with me on the Water and Sewer Committee), investing in youth recreational opportunities, our rescue squads, fire departments, and supporting small businesses. He’s also on the Anti-Litter Task Force, which I am proud to serve on. Having owned and operated a small business, he understands and can read a ledger, and, most importantly, understands the local government budget process and how to fund core services for our constituents and how to negotiate in business and budgetary affairs. Supervisor Gilliam, who I have been proud to work with on many projects, and I have not always seen eye to eye on issues, but we have been able to agree to disagree — and not be disagreeable, which is needed now more than ever in halls of government. Representing District Two, he now represents parts of the Old Maysville District, thanks to redistricting, including the Route 60 East corridor, Rosney and Red Roads, Camden Street, and many other areas. For those of you who live in these areas and in his district, I am asking that you put the same trust into Supervisor Gilliam as I have. He has my full endorsement and my support as we slowly approach this November Election.

Spring 2023 Litter Clean Up Celebration Held Saturday

During Historic Buckingham Inc.’s annual Mayfest celebration, the Anti-Littler Task Force held its Spring Clean Up Celebration, honoring the top three groups who picked up litter along Buckingham’s roadways. During this campaign, we saw 268 bags of litter picked up off our roadways, only eight bags shy of the Fall 2022 campaign. To date, the campaigns, since Spring of 2021 when this effort was restarted, have seen more than 1,220 bags of litter picked up, all thanks to our wonderful volunteers!

Congratulations to St. Thomas Aquinas as the first place winner with 25 brothers picking up 110 bags of trash and many tires! Their efforts helped to beautify parts of Route 20, Ranson Road, and St. Andrews, Howardsville, Glenmore and Goughtown Roads. Second place goes to Buckingham County Democratic Committee. Eight people on this team picked up 38 bags of trash along sections of Howardsville, Logan, and Mountain View roads. Third place goes to Fork Union Baptist Church where 14 members picked up 34 bags of trash along Dixie Hill Road.

Shawn Miller, Buckingham Branch Rail Road, Team 602, The Buckingham Lions Club (of which I am a member), Cindy Cooke, Liz Jones, Kent and Mary Bauman, Boxley Corporation, and Mulberry Grove Baptist Church also participated, including District Two Supervisor Gilliam. Many thanks and congratulations to all on helping beautify Buckingham County!

Other Updates:

• I had the honor of introducing the 2023 Miss Buckingham Court, along with the 2023 and inaugural Virginia Miss Agritourisim, Jenna Oliver, during the Mayfest Celebration on Saturday. It was a pleasure to meeting them, I am proud of these young people and young adults who bring great pride to our county!

• I continue to actively monitor the work being performed by BrightSpeed/CenturyLink along the Route 60 Corridor and I continue to seek specific information as to this work which has led to several questions by my constituents, buy myself as well. I will keep you updated on this matter.

• I continue to receive VDOT road issues from my constituents. Please do not hesitate to call, email, or text me if you see an issue with a road in the Maysville District. As of this writing, today, VDOT has been very responsive to our request for repairs and service.
• The Economic Development Committee continues to meet regularly. We held a meeting on last Wednesday, where we discussed more options for potential uses of the Industrial Park Property, how to better market the property, and uses of the property that would be congruent to the wishes and needs of the community. The Board of Supervisors has tasked this committee, which I proudly Co-Chair alongside Supervisor Don Matthews, to seek out ways of marketing the property for business, industrial, and other uses.

Contact Me!

Should you have any questions, concerns, ideas, or opinions about this newsletter, county government, services, opportunities, etc., please never hesitate to contact me. You can reach me at 434-390-7023 via text or phone, email me at jmiles@buckinghamcounty.virginia.gov, or write me at PO Box 188, Buckingham, Virginia 23921.

Jordan

Thomas Jordan Miles III

Member, Buckingham County Board of Supervisors

District Four Supervisor (Maysville)
434-390-7023 

13170 West James Anderson Highway 

PO Box 188 

Buckingham, Virginia 23921 

www.MilesforMaysville.com

Welcome to The Maysville Voice, the newsletter for those who reside and vote in the Maysville District in Buckingham County. I am pleased to bring you much information, links, and resources to inform and engage with you as your County Supervisor.

Some topics we will be considering or hearing about during our meeting on this Monday include: A presentation of a resolution honoring and memorizing the late Charlene Davis Snoddy; a presentation from the Buckingham Fire Association on fire coverage in the county; considering scheduling a public hearing regarding our Six Year Secondary Road Improvement Plan for next month; public hearings regarding a rezoning case; a special use permit for a private parochial school house; a hearing regarding a rezoning from agricultural to business; a hearing regarding the Transient Occupancy Tax Ordinance; and our Budget and Tax Rate Hearing; and an update from our Economic Development Committee, which I co-chair.

Our upcoming Board of Supervisors regular meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 17, 2023 in the Peter Francisco Board Room in the County Administration Complex on Route 60. I encourage you to attend to learn more about your County Government and how your tax dollars are spent. If you’re unable to attend in person, you can view our meeting live here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfIL3rVTUEqgxBwXCQoBDTA.

Here is a link to our agenda and full Board Packet: https://buckinghamcountyva.org/administration/boards___commissions/board_of_supervisors/board_agenda_minutes_youtube.php. Should you have any questions or concerns about anything contained in the packet or on the agenda, please reach out to me. My contact information is below at the end of this newsletter.

Public comments may be made in person during three minute increments. You must sign up before our meeting to speak.

Breaking Down Our $67 Million Proposed Budget

Our $67,215,776 proposed fiscal year operating budget includes many working parts that will benefit the residents of Buckingham County by investing more money in law enforcement, public schools, our county employees, emergency medical services, and many essential, core services. The hearing on the proposed budget and tax increase will be held last of the public hearings on Monday. The budget reflects a raise, matching that going to state employees, for our County Staff (between 5-7 percent), two new dispatch positions at the Sheriff’s Office, an unassigned fund balance of $228,257, a decrease in debt by about $170,000, and additional funding for our public library. Keep in mind the Virginia General Assembly has not finalized their negotiations to amending the biennial budget, which is causing a guessing game for localities.

I am proud to say that our budget is balanced with a very healthy reserve fund balance. I commend County Administrator Karl Carter for his work in forecasting and being lean in our spending.

Unfortunately, for many reasons, the budget reflects a real estate tax increase, returning to our pre-pandemic rate of $0.55 cents per $100 of assessed value, going from $0.52 to $0.55. Even at this proposed rate, we remain to have one of these lowest tax rates for real estate in the Commonwealth. The County has done a lot with both the 55 and 52 cent rates. The increase is largely due to the fact that, in order to continue to operate our emergency management services (rescue services), we are in need of revenue. The grant that Dominion Energy graciously allocated the county has been spent. The county knew that, even at fee for service/reimbursements from health insurance coming in at about $1 million per year, we would need a more sustainable way to fund this core service. Also, we are invading our reserve account by roughly $623,000 to fully fund our public schools due to their increased needs (and this comes after they made their own budget cuts, including positions). If the board passed this $623,000 school system need on to the tax payers right now, along with the roughly $800,000 EMS need onto the tax payers, that would be an estimated 11 cent real estate tax increase. With the way the economy is now, with many families struggling, that would be simply wrong.

The county needs more business and industry to grow our tax base, there is no question about it, so we do not have to be so reliant on the landowners for their real estate taxes. The most recent opportunities of a mixed use development with housing and businesses and solar project, both of which would have brought hundreds of thousands to the county, may have allowed us to avoid this tax increase. Again, the county needs more business expansion and industry.

With the three cent tax rate increase, for example, someone with a home valued at $100,000 would only pay $30 more a year. Likewise with a home valued at $200,000, that homeowner would pay $60 more per year. A home assessed at $300,000 would see a bill increased by only $90, and a homeowner with a home assessed at $400,000 per year would see a $120 increase per year.

I do feel like bumping up our real estate rate while pulling money from our reserve fund is a fair compromise for the taxpayers of Buckingham County. Also, we are proposed to double the tax assessed on airplanes from $0.55 cents per $100 of assessed value to $1.10 per $100 of assessed value. I feel this is more equitable in that if one can afford to purchase and fly an airplane, nine times out of 10 that person can afford to pay a little more in taxes to have that luxury.

The budget also includes increased our Public Service Corporation tax rate to reflect our Real Estate tax rate. There are no other tax increase proposed. Also in the budget is a forecasted nine percent increase in our county health insurance plan and removal of vehicle purchases as we will use federal relief money for those purchases.

If you want to look for where someone’s priorities are, or a county’s priorities, you look to their budget.

The Ongoing Electoral Board Fiasco

In case you missed it, on Monday, NBC News release a very accurate and well-written piece about what has transpired since January of this year regarding the toxic environment and working conditions for our former election staff and poll workers created by a small faction in Buckingham. Here is a link to that well-written piece: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/buckingham-county-virginia-election-staff-quits-baseless-voter-fraud-rcna76435.

This article went nationwide and has resulted in many media inquiries, which I
assume will continue to pour in.

You can find a press release regarding the statement made by the Buckingham Republican Party Chair, who said as part of her vetting of prospective Republican nominees for the Buckingham Electoral Board, “if I appoint you and if you get sworn in, will you be willing and open to firing the registrar of elections?” here: https://milesformaysville.com/2023/03/10/press-release-from-maysville-district-supervisor-miles-concerning-not-renewing-voter-registrars-contract-audio-from-republican-chairman-and-unfounded-allegations-of-incidents/. 

There has been yet another resignation on the infamous Buckingham Electoral Board. Sandy Banks-Bertwell, the Board Secretary, resigned this week on the same day that the Democratic appointee, Woody Belle Baird Hanes, was sworn to serve on the Board. I commend Woody Belle for standing up and I know she will do a stellar job in making sure we have fair and open elections in our county, and hopefully a soon fully-functional registrar’s office as a large election looms. 

It has been stated that an Interim Registrar has been appointed, but I question by whom being there was no public notice of any called or emergency meeting online. This action and interviews were conducted before Woody was appointed. Anytime our Board of Supervisors hires someone or appoints someone, we do so in open session, and sometimes following a closed executive session where we cite the appropriate Code of Virginia section, and affirm this on a recorded vote when we return from closed session. We do the same with interviews, which I also question how those were held being there were no notices of any meetings of the Electoral Board online.

Anytime the Board of Supervisors, or any of our committees meets, we advertise our meetings, and often those do include interviews and presence of members of the public. I question whether the Electoral Board’s interviews and appointment of the interim registrar are legitimate.

More coverage:

https://www.nbc29.com/2023/04/10/report-buckingham-county-doesnt-have-functional-registrars-office/

https://www.virginiamercury.com/2023/04/13/voting-officials-resignation-amid-outlandish-accusations-an-ominous-sign-for-democracy/

https://cardinalnews.org/2023/04/11/hounded-by-baseless-election-fraud-allegations-entire-election-staff-quits-in-buckingham-county-more/

https://www.virginiamercury.com/blog-va/entire-buckingham-elections-office-quits-over-baseless-voter-fraud-claims-and-more-va-headlines/

https://bluevirginia.us/2023/04/nbc-news-reports-on-buckingham-county-va-gops-vicious-campaign-against-election-officials-there-including-wildly-false-accusations-of-treason

Anti Litter Task Force Announces Spring Clean Up!

In Other News:

·       Tire Day is on Saturday, April 22, at the Ball Park on Cotton Alley Road from 7-11:30 AM. This is a free event for Buckingham residents with a current county sticker. You can turn in up to 25 tires per household and no tires with rims, tractor, commercial, or equipment tires.

·       A rabies vaccination clinic for Buckingham residents will be held Saturday, April 29 from 9-11 AM at the County Administration Parking Lot. Information needed includes owners name and address, along with the pet’s name, sex, age, breed, and color. The price is $10 per dog or cat and all cats mist be restrained in a cage or crate and owners are responsible for their pets.

·       The Virginia Office of Drinking Water has awarded a 2022 Silver Award Water Treatment Plan Performance Award for Excellence in Filtration and Backwash to our County Water Treatment Plant! I am proud of the water plant team, along with all of our county employees.

·       Jamie Shumaker, our IT Manager, has completed and received a certificate for his completing a Information Security Basics Course with Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service National Emergency Response and Recovering Training Center.

Contact Me!

Should you have any questions, concerns, ideas, or opinions about this newsletter, county government,
services, opportunities, etc., please never hesitate to contact me. You can reach me at 434-390-7023 via text or phone, email me at jmiles@buckinghamcounty.virginia.gov, or write me at PO Box 188, Buckingham,
Virginia 23921.

Jordan

Thomas Jordan Miles III

Member, Buckingham County Board of Supervisors

District Four Supervisor (Maysville)
434-390-7023 

13170 West James Anderson Highway 

PO Box 188 

Buckingham, Virginia 23921 

www.MilesforMaysville.com

Statements from Electoral Board Chairman Braxton, Former Electoral Board Secretary Larry Davis, School Board Member Pullen, Democratic Committee Vice-Chairman Snoddy

Audio File: https://share.icloud.com/photos/0d1AdD69xqMkkIuKeQroqAPxg

BUCKINGHAM COURT HOUSE — In conjunction with Fluvanna County School Board Member Andrew Pullen, Maysville District Supervisor Thomas Jordan Miles III released an audio recording of Buckingham County Republican Committee/Unit Chairman Ramona Christian noting her baseless desire to dismiss Buckingham Voter Registrar Lindsey Taylor.

Pullen recorded the conversation on Jan. 7 during a conversation with Christian, who said as part of her vetting of prospective Republican nominees for the Buckingham Electoral Board, “if I appoint you and if you get sworn in, will you be willing and open to firing the registrar of elections?”

Correction: During a special called/emergency meeting of the Electoral Board, Board Chairman Gail Braxton stated that “a majority” of the board decided not to reappoint Taylor, whose terms ends June 30, 2023. Braxton voted in opposition to not reappointing Taylor.

The recording can be found here: https://share.icloud.com/photos/0d1AdD69xqMkkIuKeQroqAPxg. After opening the webpage, click on the smaller, black rectangle at the bottom left. An audio file will pop up, then click the play button.

“Although the majority of the board who voted not to reappoint the registrar could not give a specific reason for not reappointing her, in my opinion, I believe it was predetermined by their party leader, who has stated on a recording that that’s the reason for not reappointing the registrar,” stated Electoral Board Chairman Gail Braxton.

“The members could not give specific reasons why she should not be reappointed, especially since the new members have only been on the board a short period of time and have not had specific encounters with the registrar to warrant her not being reappointed,” Braxton said.

Christian identified herself during the conversation, Pullen noted. She did not note any election improprieties during the conversation, according to Pullen. She also perpetuated multiple personal attacks on the character of Mrs. Taylor and her family during the recording, Pullen stated. 

“This is abhorrent and despicable,” said Maysville District Supervisor Thomas Jordan Miles III. “To base the nomination of appointees to the electoral board, a body that should be apolitical in the process of certifying and managing free and open elections, based on their willingness to ruin the livelihood and career of an unbiased appointed official like Mrs. Taylor, who has an excellent proven track record of supervising fair and open elections, is simply wrong. I hope this recording finally opens the eyes of those who have been sitting on the sidelines—Republicans, Independents, and Democrats.”

Miles, a Democrat, called for the resignation of the Electoral Board Members who agreed to this statement by Christian to fire the registrar.

As of January, there were two vacancies on the Electoral Board, and per State Code, those two positions are to reflect the party of the Governor, who is a Republican. There is one Democrat on the Electoral Board, which again is in line Virginia Code. The local political parties nominate potential members of the Electoral Board, while a Circuit Court Judge appoints the members of the three-person Electoral Board, which is charged to oversee fair and non-partisan elections.

During the conversation, Christian stated the following, which has been substantiated by Pullen, a Republican: “What she’s (Taylor) really upset about is when I interviewed four people for the two positions, for Electoral Board, and, you know, of course I went through their whole stance, Republican stance, what their opinions are on voting and so forth and so on, wanted to get their opinion on mail in balloting, absentee voting, fraud, all that, and when I got through, I asked them: if I appoint you and if you get sworn in, will you be willing and open to firing the registrar of elections?”

“This faction is saying that the reason there were so many ‘incidents’ on Election Day is because the Registrar did not train the officers of election properly and did not follow the law properly,” Miles stated. “However, most if not all of those ‘incidents’ are totally bogus. This small faction is trying to fabricate reasons to remove integrity from our elections process when, in fact, until January, we had smooth, open elections and Electoral Board meetings. Since January, fabricated claims of illegalities have been made, one Republican board member has resigned, the Board’s public comment policy has been changed three times while stifling public comment, and the Registrar and her staff have been harassed.”

On March 8, 2023 Buckingham Democratic Committee Vice-Chairman Maggie Snoddy reached out to Commonwealth’s Attorney Kemper Beasley. The purpose of the call was to ask if Beasley had received copies of any allegations, accusations or incident reports of malfeasance or criminal intent or activity related to the November 2022 election. He confirmed that he had received some information, and that he had reviewed it in detail, and none of the allegations rose to the level of criminal activity, and consequently, required no further action on his part.

“The purpose of the Electoral Board is to ensure we have fair, unbiased, well-organized elections,” said former longtime Secretary of the Electoral Board, Larry Davis. “It should not be a political body. However, it seems that it has become a group dominated by two new members set on pushing their political agenda with the support and influence of a radical Republican Committee. It seems that their first order of business was to eliminate the current Registrar, Lindsey Taylor.”

“Even in the best of times, it is not easy to find enough people to staff all the voting precincts,” Davis said. “We do, however, have a core group of volunteers who have worked the polls for many years. These are honest people of integrity. They are our friends and neighbors. Many of them have been hounded by members of the previously mentioned radical group to the point where they may resign. Imagine conducting an election with an inexperienced Registrar, inexperienced poll workers, and two out of three inexperienced Board members.”

“There has never been a question of the fairness of our elections in Buckingham County,” Davis said. “We have generous, respected community members accused of dishonesty as part of a partisan playbook. While it may be the prerogative of a board taken over by radicals to do these things, is it good for our county? I think the answer is no and I think this would be agreed upon by both Republicans and Democrats in our community. Can they be stopped?”

“After answering a phone call from a number that we didn’t recognize and immediately confronted by a hostile and adversarial Ramona Christian, I began recording,” Pullen, who recorded Christian, stated. “Her unprofessionalism and political threats were repugnant, but her determination to pursue the termination of the Registrar without evidence, without due process and without regard for her community set a dangerous precedent that cannot be ignored. Additionally, her perpetual threats to local candidates who wish to leave divisive D.C. politics out of their local races, has the potential to damage the Republican brand in Buckingham County and fracture the party. I hope that Buckingham County conservatives and Republican leaders across the Commonwealth will join me in demanding her resignation.”

“This is just one additional example, among many, of the extreme partisanship and lack of a moral compass from this newly appointed Electoral Board and the current leadership of the local Republican Party,” stated Snoddy. “There should be a legal remedy here. I urge a full and independent investigation into this and other related matters. The electoral system in Buckingham County will not withstand this type of pressure. It will collapse under the weight of this intimidation and harassment by just a few individuals. We have a huge election in this county in November. This situation needs to be addressed now.”

Welcome to The Maysville Voice, the newsletter for those who reside and vote in the Maysville District in Buckingham County. I am pleased to bring you much information, links, and resources to inform and engage with you as your County Supervisor.

Some topics we will be considering or hearing about during our meeting on this Monday include: a 5 PM work session of the Board with VDOT regarding our Six Year Road Improvement Plan; budget presentations from Jaunt, Inc., FLIPP; and Warriors First, Inc.; and three zoning case introductions regarding a rezoning request from Olympia Moore for business for commercial use (which I intend to fully support), a zoning map amendment from agricultural to business for commercial towing use, and a special use permit for purpose of operating a private school; and presentations from the Virginia Cooperative Extension and the James River Boys and Girls Club. We will be setting public hearings for these three cases for next month, April.

🚨 ⏰ ‼️ REMINDER: The Buckingham County Electoral Board will hold an emergency/special called meeting Friday, March 10, 2023 at 3 PM at the Agricultural Center on Route 60. Please attempt to attend. Read more below.

Our upcoming Board of Supervisors regular meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 13, 2023 in the Peter Francisco Board Room in the County Administration Complex on Route 60. Our VDOT work session will begin at 5 PM. I encourage you to attend to learn more about your County Government and how your tax dollars are spent. If you’re unable to attend in person, you can view our meeting live here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfIL3rVTUEqgxBwXCQoBDTA.

Here is a link to our agenda and full Board Packet: https://buckinghamcountyva.org/administration/boards___commissions/board_of_supervisors/board_agenda_minutes_youtube.php. Should you have any questions or concerns about anything contained in the packet or on the agenda, please reach out to me. My contact information is below at the end of this newsletter.

Public comments may be made in person during three minute increments. You must sign up before our meeting to speak.

Special/Emergency Called Electoral Board Meeting set for Friday, March 10, 2023 at 3 PM at The Agricultural Center–PLEASE ATTEND!

First, I ask you to be on attention tomorrow, Friday, following the special called Electoral Board meeting, regarding the “vetting of the new Electoral Board members” by the Chair of the Republican Party of Buckingham. I will be issuing a special statement and releasing information tomorrow on that subject. You can view that statement on http://www.milesformaysville.com and on http://www.facebook.com/milesformaysville. The Farmville Herald, CBS 6, and NBC 29 are aware of this impending statement.

At any rate, yet again, in the normal “new” Buckingham Electoral Board style, a drastic change has been made to the agenda of the Friday 3 PM meeting of the Electoral Board. As of last night, their agenda had personnel and legal consultation being discussed in open session. Tonight, these topics are now listed are as being in closed session. It is common for bodies to find a late need to enter into closed session, but not remove open session items and placing them into closed session. Now the Electoral Board is set to hold two closed sessions: one before and one during the meeting, and having moved open session agenda items to closed session, which I found puzzling. What does the Electoral Board have to suddenly hide? I find this very disturbing seeing that this meeting has been thrown together in haste, and causing much confusion, under a cloud of perceived deceit and heightened awareness of their track record of bad governance (their public comment policy has been change three times since January, and quite honestly, I look for it to change again soon). Again, the meeting has been called for Friday, tomorrow, at 3 PM at the Agricultural Center on Route 60 in Buckingham at the call of the Board Secretary. Please attend if you care about free and fair elections and good governance from our Electoral Board. These sudden changes are bad governance.

The Farmville Herald requested a statement from me regarding the potential firing of the Voter Registrar:

“An Electoral Board must show cause to fire a Registrar before the end of their four-year term.   By collecting all of these so-called ‘incident reports’ on Election Day, a small faction is trying to show cause to fire the Registrar, make no mistake about it, with no legitimate reason. They are saying that the reason there were so many ‘incidents’ on Election Day is because the Registrar did not train the officers of election properly and did not follow the law properly. However, most if not all of those ‘incidents’ are totally bogus. This faction is trying to fabricate reasons to remove integrity from our elections process when, in fact, until January, we had smooth, open elections and Electoral Board meetings. There are several of us who can refute most if not all of these junk claims, but with public comment having been shut down and limited by the Electoral Board, it’s hard to do that. In fact, the Registrar has received stellar performance appraisals from the prior Electoral Board and a letter of support and commendation from the Board of Supervisors. It’s an injustice for a person who is doing a stellar job by practically everyone’s standards, and abiding by state law, to be verbally attacked, accused of wrongdoing, harassed, lied to and lied about, and whose job has been put in jeopardy. That is just plain wrong.”

Route 56 Solid Waste Site Closed Temporarily

The Route 56 Solid Waste Site is closed for the time being due to the County laying concrete at the site, removing the annoyance of white rock, gravel and dust. Please use the Dillwyn Recycling Center until this project is complete, which is slated for re-opening of March 17, 2023. Please be patient as we improve that space!

Broadband Update!

Regarding Project RISE as a middle mile broadband project for Buckingham and Cumberland Counties, Dominion is evaluating these areas. Rest assured, the project is still a go. Middle mile construction would most likely begin in these areas in early 2025, however that date could change based on crew availability, material availability, permitting, and a multitude of other factors, according to Dominion.

These projects in the Cumberland and Buckingham areas are currently in the scoping phase. Dominion is evaluating their existing overhead infrastructure and collaborating with Firefly to determine the best possible route for their fiber optic cable.

I am so thankful for Dominion, CVEC, and Firefly for investing in our communities.

In Other News…

VDOT is picking up from west of the Courthouse Village toward Route 56 and the intersection to the bridge on 56!

The Courthouse Renovation and Repair Committee met this week to consider bidding out work to rehab moisture and other issues in the old portion of the courthouse. I am proud to serve on that committee.

The Board is awaiting VDOT input regarding permanent speed readers for the Court House Village! This will prove efficient in traffic calming for our community.

The Anti-Litter Task Force will soon meet to discuss our upcoming Spring Cleanup Campaign! If you are interested in serving, email me at jmiles@buckinghamcounty.virginia.gov. I am proud to lead that committee.

The Economic Development Committee met this week! You will learn more about that during our Monday Board meeting. I am proud to co-chair that committee.

In case you missed it, we recently held our first quarter 2023 Maysville Voice Town Hall meeting as a pop-up, virtual meeting! You can view that meeting here. I would appreciate your input: https://fb.watch/jaiM-ScaJ6/.

Contact Me!

Should you have any questions, concerns, ideas, or opinions about this newsletter, county government, services, opportunities, etc., please never hesitate to contact me. You can reach me at 434-390-7023 via text or phone, email me at jmiles@buckinghamcounty.virginia.gov, or write me at PO Box 188, Buckingham, Virginia 23921.

Jordan

Thomas Jordan Miles III

Member, Buckingham County Board of Supervisors

District Four Supervisor (Maysville)
434-390-7023 

13170 West James Anderson Highway 

PO Box 188 

Buckingham, Virginia 23921 

www.MilesforMaysville.com

Welcome to The Maysville Voice, the newsletter for those who reside and vote in the Maysville District in Buckingham County. I am pleased to bring you much information, links, and resources to inform and engage with you as your County Supervisor.

Some topics we will be considering or hearing about during our meeting on this Monday include: Honoring Jenna Oliver, Virginia Miss Agritourism; consideration of scheduling a VDOT Six Year Road Improvement Plan Work Session in March; two public hearings (one regarding an Air BnB on Rock Mill Road and another regarding using 28 acres on Route 20 for future Buckingham County Firefighter’s Association Tractor Pulls); a request to amend the FY23 school budget due to an increase in enrollment, state funds, and an adjustment in federal money; and several appointments to the EMS and Recycling Committees, among others.

Our upcoming Board of Supervisors regular meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 13, 2022 in the Peter Francisco Board Room in the County Administration Complex on Route 60. I encourage you to attend to learn more about your County Government and how your tax dollars are spent. If you’re unable to attend in person, you can view our meeting live here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1q2Ntsq_gk.

Here is a link to our agenda and full Board Packet: https://buckinghamcountyva.org/administration/boards___commissions/board_of_supervisors/board_agenda_minutes_youtube.php. Should you have any questions or concerns about anything contained in the packet or on the agenda, please reach out to me. My contact information is below at the end of this newsletter.

Public comments may be made in person during three minute increments. You must sign up before our meeting to speak.

Twice a Year Personal Property Tax Billing Proposal

The Board will also hear from our staff along with the Committee on Finance’s comments on twice a year personal property tax billing, similar to how we administer twice a year real estate tax bills, which I fully support. It will cost more money, but it will also add to the convenience of the taxpayers in the long run, taking the burden off the pre-Christmas due date which can be enormous and untimely. I serve on this committee.

Electoral Board Fiasco

If you have been talking to many people locally, our Electoral Board is having its fair share of struggles. The two new members seem to misunderstand the importance of having public input, Roberts Rules of Order, and overall good governance. These two people were allegedly, and I have been told with great authority, appointed by their party with the condition that they would oust the Registrar, who does an outstanding job, along with her election officers and her staff. You can read the many, many letters to the editor of the Farmville Herald regarding this matter here: https://www.farmvilleherald.com/category/opinion/.

I, along with more than 60 people, attended the Tuesday night meeting where public comment, for a second time, was limited and/or shut down. The
Electoral Board has changed their public participation policy at least three times, and now they only allow 30 minutes total of public comment, and party leaders/chairs who wish to speak must submit their remarks in advance of delivering them verbally. They have essentially gone to unlimited time for public comment and now have resorted to a very restricted one. The following are my abbreviated remarks from the public comment portion of the meeting, which, again, was limited to only a handful of people despite nearly 20 people being signed up.

Not allowing public comment during a meeting, when the preceding meeting had a very informal public comment with no guardrails is not good governance. It sets a bad precedent and leads one to wonder if there is something to hide, even if there is not.

People with influence in political or bureaucratic appointed positions  who perpetuate falsehoods, twist the truth, intimidate election workers directly or indirectly is not good governance and should not be tolerated by our leaders or citizens. Nor are situations of political leaders who condition political appointments with pledges that affect the livelihood of others based on these falsehoods – again, that is not good governance. 

Tonight you all failed to vote on two key motions, a motion to enter back into open session and a motion to appoint officers of election–a list which was not read. Again, not good governance. 

These actions are not only good governance, but they’re wrong. It is wrong to lie and not tell the truth. We were taught that when we were young. It is right to stand up to bad actions and lies.

The eyes of us who live in Buckingham are on the three members of the Electoral Board, and again, I appreciate all your work and dedication. I also appreciate you all not letting a small handful of those who are in this county who are driving this effort to fire our registrar and drive off election workers control your decisions. Margaret Thomas was Registrar here for 28 years and she never had to deal with any of this crap.

I have no doubt that we have honest and fair elections in Buckingham. 

When you vote, represent Buckingham in the public, and make decisions, please remember that you all work for and represent the 17,000 of us who live and vote here, not a political party, Democratic or Republican. Thank you.

Committee on Gold Mine Study Meeting is Monday at 4:30 PM

Please take note that there is a meeting of the Committee on Gold Mine Study on Monday, Feb. 13, 2023 at 4:30 P.M. in the County Board Room. Supervisor Harry Bryant, Heidi Berthoud, and myself, along with County Staff, serve on this committee to consider the response from the HB 2313 State Gold Mine Study Committee. The Committee, which I serve as Chairman of, will hear from Virginia Association of Counties’ Joe Lerch, a local government expert, along with Dr. Ben Price, who will discuss the Rights Based Ordinance regarding Metallic Mining. There will be no public comment. I hope you can attend! The final Gold Mine State Study/Report can be found online at the end of this board packet: https://cms9files.revize.com/buckinghamcounty/dec%2012%202022%20bd%20pckt.pdf.

Update on Mixed Use Project, County Buys Back Property

The Board of Supervisors held a special meeting last Friday regarding the mixed use development of the County Industrial Park. I led with the motions to purchase the land back from Atlantic Investment Corp., which led to the County purchasing the land back for $170,000 more than what the developer paid for it. This represented some of the investment the developer invested in the property.

As I said before I offered the motion to purchase our former Industrial Park property back from Atlantic Investment Corp., I believe the mixed use housing and commercial business development would have been ideal for that location and for our local economy. There is a nationwide housing shortage and a clear demand for good paying jobs in our community. This project would have elevated wages and I believe improved the lives of our neighbors.

It is my hope that the Economic Development Committee, which I serve on, will offer the Board clear, evidence-based suggestions as to how to market the property to private industry and bring good paying jobs to Buckingham. The committee has been tasked to do so with a report by our April 2023 Board of Supervisors Meeting. We will see more appointments that represent the business community in District Two, which I fully support.

It was my hope that Atlantic Investment would have followed the process that was agreed to by allowing the Planning Commission to weigh in on the matter, and make further recommendations to the developer and then allow the Board of Supervisors to review the rezoning application the developer needed. This never happened, thus the project stalled, and placed us in a situation where a decision had to be made regarding the property.

Regarding the former project, though the county and the developer agreed that Atlantic Investment would add $15 million to our tax base in five years, a conservative estimate demonstrated a value added of $33.73 million to the county’s tax rolls upon completion of the project when examining the housing aspect of the project.

Committee Assignments

I feel the need to share my committee assignments with my constituents. In committee, we get a great deal done for recommendations for the full Board’s consideration. I serve on the following committees, which I am proud to work on:

• Committee on Finance
• Committee on Gold Mining Study, Chairman
• Committee on Utilities
• Committee on Economic Development, Co-Chairman
• Committee on New Animal Control Facility
• Committee on Courthouse Repair and Renovation
• Buckingham Representative/Treasurer, Commonwealth Regional Council
• Buckingham Representative, Crossroads Community Services Board

Contact Me!

Should you have any questions, concerns, ideas, or opinions about this newsletter, county government, services, opportunities, etc., please never hesitate to contact me. You can reach me at 434-390-7023 via text or phone, email me at jmiles@buckinghamcounty.virginia.gov, or write me at PO Box 188, Buckingham, Virginia 23921.

Jordan

Thomas Jordan Miles III

District Four Supervisor (Maysville)
434-390-7023 

PO Box 188 

Buckingham, Virginia 23921 

www.MilesforMaysville.com

Constituents and Friends:

This is the latest edition of The Maysville Voice, our monthly newsletter for those who reside in The Maysville Voting District, which I am proud to represent.

When posted, which will be very soon, you will be able to view our agenda, full board packet, and YouTube Channel here.

A friendly reminder that personal property taxes are due TOMORROW, Jan. 5. The Board was able to extend the due date from Dec. 5 to Jan. 5 to give the taxpayers more time with the approaching holidays, and in light of the drastic increase in values of vehicles.. This did not affect the real estate due date. 

The Board also waived the convenience fees for paying personal property taxes online to ease the burden on the taxpayer. These fees are waived through March 1, 2023. I proposed this idea of pushing back the deadline for personal property along with waiving penalties until Jan. 5 and convenience fees until March 1.

On Monday, we will hold our monthly reorganizational meeting being the first meeting of the new year. We will elect a new Chairman and Vice Chairman for the calendar year, along with consideration of appointments and reappointments to standing committees and other annual designations. My last meeting as your Board Chairman was in December. It was an honor to lead the Board and serve the county!

We are also set to hold two public hearings: one for a special use permit for a 5 megawatt solar facility on U.S. Route 60 just East of Sprouses Corner, and a special use permit for a  Professional Services Office/Medical Office on Troublesome Creek Road for a medical office. 

Also, the Board formed a Committee on Gold Mining, which I will serve on along with Supervisor Harry Bryant, District Five, to consider the results of the House Bill 2313 Statewide Study which I was a workgroup member of, to consider the Committee’s findings. I am in favor of banning gold mining in all zoning districts in the county.

The Buckingham Chamber of Commerce, which I serve as President of, will soon hold its annual banquet on Tuesday, Jan 17, 2023 at the Dillwyn Volunteer Fire Department. Tickets are $20. Come enjoy a celebration of the Chamber’s successes, our four prestigious awards (Youth Achievement, Volunteer of the Year, Business of the Year, and The Lifetime Achievement Award), a silent auction, and visit with folks you may have not seen in some time. You must RSVP at 434-983-2372 to attend. 

Buckingham County Public Schools’ students, teachers, and their staff are spearheading many amazing academic and extracurricular projects and are representing Buckingham very well in other communities across the state. To find out more about our schools and their success, visit https://www.bcpschools.org.

As always, please do not hesitate to call, email, text, or write to me. My contact information is below. 

Regards,

Jordan

—
Thomas Jordan Miles III

District Four Supervisor (Maysville)

434-390-7023

13170 West James Anderson Highway

PO Box 188

Buckingham, Virginia 23921

www.MilesforMaysville.com

This special edition of The Maysville Voice focuses on the impending inclement weather we have headed our way today and tomorrow.

Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews are watching the forecast closely and have pretreated all primary routes. They will work through the night – and through the storm, along with other agencies and departments related to emergency services and utilities.

PLAN & PREPARE

Ready.gov is a great resource for winter weather tips, preparedness solutions, emergency alerts, and more. For winter weather resources, visit https://www.ready.gov/winter-weather.

VDOT RESPONSE

In the early morning hours on Thursday, we will see a transition to rain and freezing rain, then become a rain only event by mid-morning. On Thursday night, rain continues for most and winds will start to strengthen dramatically. Between Thursday night and Saturday morning, expect gusts of up to 40 miles per hour.

Be prepared for the possibility of power outages from downed trees and power lines – and debris blown onto roadways. The storm will gradually leave the area throughout the day on Friday, but extremely cold air will move in, making for a strong risk of refreeze on the roads. The rain will wash away brine — and any remaining moisture on road surfaces will freeze in the cold air. Temperatures will drop into the teens by Friday afternoon. Some areas will see single digit temperatures on Friday night.

Saturday morning will see clearing skies, but continuing bitter cold and strong winds. Saturday night will be clear but windy – with temperatures again dropping into the teens.

Don’t risk driving in horrible weather conditions! The safest place to be during a major winter storm is indoors. About 70 percent of deaths related to ice and snow occur in automobiles. For questions, or to report hazardous road conditions, contact VDOT’s 24-hour Customer Service Center by visiting my.vdot.virginia.gov or calling 800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623). Get updated road conditions at any time by visiting 511virginia.org  

DOMINION ENERGY RESPONSE

Dominion Energy is closely watching and is preparing for a moderate outage threat from gusty winds, 6:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Friday. Depending on the severity of the storm, it could cause power outages in different areas of Virginia. Their crews will be fully mobilized and prepared to respond if power outages occur – working around the clock to restore power.   

To report an outage and track restoration, we have three easy ways:  1) Dominion Energy mobile app; 2) Dominion Energy website; or 3) Call 1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357).

As always, please stay away from downed power lines.  If you see a downed pole or wire, please report it by calling 1-866-DOM-HELP and stay at least 30 feet away. The line could be energized and dangerous.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Weather Report:

Today
Precipitation begins early Thursday morning as freezing rain/sleet in Northern – Western Virginia and as rain across the rest of the commonwealth. Freezing rain/sleet will change over to rain by afternoon. A rumble of thunder may be possible in Eastern Virginia. We do not have any operational concerns from wintry precipitation, but there may be spotty travel issues tomorrow morning.

Friday

A strong cold front crosses Virginia bringing high winds, brief precipitation, and a plunge in temperatures.  Sustained winds across Dominion Energy territory will run 15-25 mph with frequent 35-45 mph gusts. Timing is 6:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., likely peaking by early afternoon. We have a system-wide moderate outage threat in place with a 30 percent chance for improving and a 10 percent chance for getting worse.  High temperatures will occur Friday morning as temperatures will quickly fall through the afternoon. Temperatures will be below freezing by night.  Brief rain showers will accompany this frontal passage, followed by a few snowflakes. Accumulating snowfall is not likely for most, but some elevated surfaces could get a dusting (i.e. cars, decks).  Portions of Northern – Western Virginia may see some light, dry snow accumulation.

The Holiday Weekend
Dry and clear weather will be in place for the weekend, but the big story is extreme cold. Temperatures will be 20-30 degrees colder than normal. Northern – Western Virginia could see some light, dry snow accumulation.

Happy Holidays!

I have always used the winter holidays as a time for reflection, pausing to look back on what the year has brought us collectively and individually. I am thankful to be entering my fourth year as your representative on the Board of Supervisors. I am also thankful for my fellow members for entrusting me to serve as Board Chairman this calendar year, along with my other public service opportunities. This year has been challenging but fruitful in many respects for our communities and county as a whole. We have much to be proud of in Buckingham County, not only in each other, but in what we have done, as a community, for others, especially in their times of great need. And that is what makes the holidays so special. From Rachael and I, we wish you a very happy holiday season, Merry Christmas, and a prosperous New Year.

Thomas Jordan Miles III

Chairman, Buckingham County Board of Supervisors

District Four Supervisor (Maysville)

434-390-7023

PO Box 188

Buckingham, Virginia 23921

www.MilesforMaysville.com

Welcome to The Maysville Voice, the newsletter for those who reside and vote in the Maysville District in Buckingham County. I am pleased to bring you much information, links, and resources to inform and engage with you as your County Supervisor.

Some topics we will be considering or hearing about during our meeting on this Tuesday include: Honoring Tyshea Chambers for being crowned Miss Five County Fair 2022 and her other amazing accolades, which I am so proud of and glad we can honor our youth; consideration of an appointment to the Industrial Development Authority representing District Two (White Hall/Dillwyn), two Special Use Permit introductions (not public hearings, but introductions to set public hearings) for: a 5 megawatt utility scale solar facility along U.S. Route 60 east of Sprouse’s Corner, and a Professional Services Office/Medical Office on Troublesome Creek Road, consideration of the Commonwealth Regional Council updating our Comprehensive Plan, and consideration of forming a committee regarding the State Legislature-Commissioned Gold Mining Study, coverage of which can be found here: https://www.bayjournal.com/news/pollution/report-virginia-ill-equipped-to-deal-with-the-revival-of-gold-mine-industry/article_fcff4ae4-69da-11ed-8cfb-e7dbe084e37c.html.  The report can be found online at the end of our board packet: https://cms9files.revize.com/buckinghamcounty/dec%2012%202022%20bd%20pckt.pdf.

🚨 ⏰ ‼️ REMINDER: The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to extend the due date for personal property taxes until ***Jan. 5 instead of Dec. 5 *** and we also voted to waive the convenience fee for credit card payments until March 1 for personal property taxes. This is to help those on fixed incomes, those struggling financially, and those who live pay check to pay check pay their tax bills which, because of the economy, have seen higher values in their vehicle assessments.

I, like you, saw a drastic increase in my bill this year on my vehicle, a used pickup truck, which I purchased used in late 2019. Let me be clear, the tax rate DID NOT INCREASE AND HAS NOT GONE UP IN MANY YEARS. The increased bills are being driven by the assessed value and the result of the economy being in the state it is. The Commissioner of the Revenue, who is tasked per the Virginia Constitution with assessing certain property, even changed her assessment method some time ago to a lesser value to help bear the brunt of the tax assessment.

Our upcoming Board of Supervisors regular meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 12, 2022 in the Peter Francisco Board Room in the County Administration Complex on Route 60. I encourage you to attend to learn more about your County Government and how your tax dollars are spent. If you’re unable to attend in person, you can view our meeting live here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfIL3rVTUEqgxBwXCQoBDTA.

Here is a link to our agenda and full Board Packet: https://buckinghamcountyva.org/administration/boards___commissions/board_of_supervisors/board_agenda_minutes_youtube.php. Should you have any questions or concerns about anything contained in the packet or on the agenda, please reach out to me. My contact information is below at the end of this newsletter.

Public comments may be made in person during three minute increments. You must sign up before our meeting to speak.

Join our Chamber of Commerce!

The Buckingham Chamber of Commerce, which I am humbled to serve as President of; is our county’s largest and most impactful civic group. For this month and during December, for only $35 per year, you can be a member, whether you’re a business owner or not, of an organization that holds monthly meetings with speakers, food, and many updates; receive a monthly newsletter; participate and be recognized as Business of the Month or recipient of the Community Pride Award; attend ribbon cuttings and other special events; receive discounts in the annual Buckingham Guidebook; and receive many other perks, including participating in our annual Chamber Banquet held in January. But the best thing about our Chamber is the camaraderie and networking that we have amongst our small businesses. To join, email info@buckinghamchamberofcommerce.com or call 434-983-2372. Dues will be $40 per year after Jan. 1, 2023 to join today.

Contact Me!

Should you have any questions, concerns, ideas, or opinions about this newsletter, county government, services, opportunities, etc., please never hesitate to contact me. You can reach me at 434-390-7023 via text or phone, email me at jmiles@buckinghamcounty.virginia.gov, or write me at PO Box 188, Buckingham, Virginia 23921. You can also come see me at my house at 13170 West James Anderson Highway, Buckingham, Virginia 23921.

Jordan

Thomas Jordan Miles III

Chairman, Buckingham County Board of Supervisors

District Four Supervisor (Maysville)
434-390-7023 

13170 West James Anderson Highway 

PO Box 188 

Buckingham, Virginia 23921 

www.MilesforMaysville.com