By Stephen Smoot
Voters in attendance and participating online presented county commission candidates with questions about wide ranging issues in last week’s candidate forum organized by the Pendleton County Economic and Community Development Authority.
They also heard information from Superintendent Charles Hedrick about the school safety levy on the ballot next month.
In an unusual year, candidates from both the Western and Central districts are up for a vote. Jimmie Bennett is challenging incumbent Gene McConnell. Charles Burgoyne, Tina Eye, and Roger Dahmer are contending to serve the remainder of the late Carole Hartman’s term. Burgoyne currently serves in the seat, named to fill Hartman’s seat after she passed.
All candidates besides Bennett attended in person. He is still recuperating from an illness in Morgantown and responded to the questions later.
Hedrick opened by advocating for the school safety levy, explaining that “the bulk of this levy will go to four resource officers, one in each school.” Resource officers would be specially trained sheriff’s department deputies, or potentially former state troopers who meet the sheriff’s department’s criteria. Some of the money would pay for cameras and other safety equipment in schools.
“No one likes to have taxes raised . . . we pay a lot in taxes already.” Hedrick said. “We tried to limit what we are looking at. Everything in it is for school safety.”
The levy would raise slightly under $500,000.
Next, each candidate received a few minutes on which to give a statement on themselves and their ideas. After candidate statements, the moderator opened up the floor for public questions.
Questions commenced with an inquiry into resource officer training, with Hedrick explaining that any had to meet the standards of the county sheriff’s department.
A homeschooled student asked the next question, inquiring about how each would support opportunities for youth outside of sports. Hedrick responded that “we do try to work with the county commission” and suggested that homeschooled children could take individual classes or go on field trips.
Later in the forum, a question was asked about infrastructure to support cultural arts based tourism. Dahmer stated that there was some infrastructure in place and suggested that the county has an advantage in “rustic” tourism. Bennett answered that area infrastructure remains limited and that tourists to the various attractions in the Western District may visit, but tend to stay and spend elsewhere. Burgoyne explained that the Pendleton County Visitors’ Bureau would work on that issue and discussed the potential of the Highland Golf Course.
Many focused on the current condition of Pendleton County’s EMS and fire rescue squads. Dahmer said that improvements would require “discussions between the county commission and the rescue squad folks, because they’re the boots on the ground.” He also mentioned setting standards for response times and consistent service.
Eye, president of the Pendleton County Emergency Rescue Squad, added “I see the struggles” and that “there are different options out there. We must explore them and get on the same page.” She described response times as “astronomical because we have no paid squad.” Eye also noted that some volunteers may spend four to five hours on single calls.
Burgoyne explained that he had studied emergency services in counties across the Eastern Panhandle. One of the issues he described was transport calls, saying “Majority are transport calls. In reality, it may not be an emergency when they get to the hospital.” Burgoyne proposed a “hybrid paid and volunteer squad,” which would lead with paid responders and back fill with volunteer departments. He also suggested that a private service might also be worthwhile.
Bennett explained that he would be “interested in seeing what funding is available to improve this service.”
McConnell echoed Eye’s concerns about response times and the burdens on volunteers, saying “asking people to give up time, to conform to so many new regulations . . . won’t fly anymore.” McConnell also said that the county commission has no authority over the rescue squad, but does contribute funds. He supports a “paid county organization” where the county pays for the service and “let others do what they do best, save lives.”
Broadband expansion funding also came up during the questions. Bennett responded that the county “would have to rely on grant programs to assist with broadband implementation.”
“Grants are the way to go,” Eye agreed, but added that “we need to explore other options to get funding” as well.
Burgoyne and Dahmer both agreed on grants as the main funding vehicle, with McConnell adding that “without federal money, I don’t see how we can do it.”
A question for the incumbent commissioners focused on the progress of broadband expansion through planned phases. McConnell explained the rising cost of broadband, approximately $50,000 per mile, and added “you can go many miles in Pendleton County without seeing a house . . . it’s going to take time.” Burgoyne explained the phases and how progress had been made within them.
Amendment 2 came up for questioning as well as concerns about its potential impact on county revenues. Hedrick answered that he talked to Senate President Craig Blair who supports the amendment and Governor Jim Justice who opposes. He “takes State Senator Blair at his word that they can backfill” but also explained “we’re in a period of fat cows. Hedrick asked what would happen “when the skinny cows come out of the Kanawha River and eat the fat ones.”
Dahmer said he was on the fence, but “taking anything out of local hands isn’t good.”
McConnell, Bennett, and Burgoyne all worried about the lack of a clear and stated plan to consistently replace county revenues and expressed opposition to the proposed amendment.
Tourism also served as an important focus. One questioner inquired of McConnell specifically about the potential impact of wind turbines on tourism and land values. He requested that the county commission research the potential impact. McConnell replied that, “I am opposed to windmills in Pendleton County,” but banning them is not his job.
“We must make sure that the laws are equitably enforced,” he explained and added that private citizens have the right to erect them.
Bennett concurred with McConnell, that private citizens could do as they pleased, but he did not agree with taking private land for them through eminent domain and “personally, I do not like looking at windmills in the skyline.”
Candidates also mostly answered that tourism carries some of the best prospects for future economic development. Eye said that “I wouldn’t pinpoint one industry,” but said that tourism is the “most visible” and could “create a lot of jobs.”
McConnell agreed that tourism gives the county the best opportunities for growth, but that the “challenge is to get infrastructure so that people checking us out get a positive impression.”
Dahmer focused on tourism, saying “that’s the big one, the one we start with.” Dahmer added that “every time someone wants to bring something in, there’s a lot of protest. There’s going to have to be a dialogue somehow.”
“Pendleton County offers rock climbing, hundreds of miles of hiking, biking trails, river rafting, and fishing opportunities,” Bennett explained, “but currently does not promote or take advantage of economic opportunities.”
Burgoyne noted the recent progress made in tourism and promotion, citing the imminent hiring of a convention and visitors’ bureau director, the expansion of Air BNB options, and the impending renovation of the Thompson’s Motel. He said, “the most important thing is the role that tourism plays in this county and how it’s expanded.”
The commission candidates agreed that they would all listen to agritourism related ideas and hold discussions. Bennett replied that he would request that WVU Extension Service or university agriculture programs to provide information. Dahmer suggested that a dialogue with farmers could help to boost agritourism. Burgoyne explained that agriculture had changed over the years, but that some of the larger farms in the county could provide input.
Eye stated that she would listen to ideas and suggested that smaller farms could be geared to teaching children. McConnell noted that if people saw a good opportunity that we would support it.
With mental illness, drug crime, and addiction overwhelming communities across the state, a concerned citizen asked about limited county resources and personnel to address the problem. Bennett advised that he was not “sure this was something the county commissioners should handle,” but suggested researching and supporting mental health and drug addiction programs already in place.
Eye said that she sees the problem every day and described how regional resources are often too overwhelmed to take in Pendleton County patients needing specialized help. McConnell stated that the county should engage organizations such as the Potomac Highlands Guild. He added that he was not an expert in the field, “but I like to go to people who are.”
Dahmer stated that if the county commission could do something to address these problems, it should look at options.
Burgoyne described county efforts via drug court and the day report centers, but agreed that the county commission would support promising initiatives.
