The Pulaski County Solar Farm is a promising initiative that uses our local resources (empty farmland) to address our need for green energy and tax revenue. But there are ways it could be improved.
Finding Truth in Noah Thomas’s Death
I have spent the majority of my adult life working on, consulting with, and learning about truth and reconciliation commissions. These bodies are generally tasked with investigating human rights abuses or other injustices so that a community or nation can learn from the past, establish accountability for what happened in some way, and make recommendations […]
Pulaski Explainer: Should Pulaski Join the Opioid Lawsuit?
Some of you may have read about a large lawsuit being brought against the manufacturers of opioid prescription drugs by many localities throughout the country. In our neck of the woods, Smyth, Wythe, and Russell counties have joined and their lawyers have attempted to add Pulaski County to their client list. I’ll attempt to explain […]
On expanding Medicaid: “Virginia’s money needs to stay in Virginia”
One of my hardworking colleagues just found out that her family’s health insurance premiums are about to go from about $250 to $1200 a month. Upon hearing that, I was tempted to sarcastically exclaim, “Thanks Obama” and rethink my limited support for the Affordable Care Act. But then I looked into the reason her premiums […]
Meeting Tonight to Discuss Capital Projects for Schools
Tonight the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors and the Pulaski County School Board will meet to discuss a host of important issues around both the new middle school as well other school related expenses. (Find the Agenda here.) I should note that the meeting will be at the IT Training Room at 89 Commerce Street S.W. (Maple […]
Taxes will rise to pay for schools, regardless of vote on November 7th
Schools Cannot be Fixed for only $9 million Recently, I noticed that Andy McCready gave an interview to WSLS in which he stated that the “Plan B” for the middle schools if the referendum fails is to enact a $9.3 million dollar plan. The Plan, seen in its entirety here, can best be described as […]
Pulaski Explainer- How does Pulaski County Issue Bonds?
Last night I spoke at the Board of Supervisors meeting, in order to make sure that both they and the public were aware of the options available to them in response to the consolidated middle school resolution passed from the School Board. Their options are as follows: Do nothing- The Board of Supervisors is not […]
How much does that cost? Pulaski’s Parkway to Nowhere
I’m often told by fellow citizens that Pulaski County just doesn’t have the money to spend on things like schools, because “where would that money come from?” So after spending some time with the County budget, I sent the County a few Freedom of Information Act requests to clear up some of my confusion about […]
Pulaski Explainer- “Wrapped” Debt Service
So I’ve gotten a lot of comments and concerns about wrapped debt financing. After spending several years working on legal issues related to the Financial Crisis, I completely understand people having an aversion to financing arrangements that look too good to be true. To be clear, a “wrapped” debt service is not an unusual financing […]
How much does it cost?: Land Use Taxation in Pulaski County, Part II
Read Part I Here My recent article about the land use program spurred a great deal of debate, which I think should always be the purpose behind any reporting. However, I think some of the debate came about due to some misunderstandings for the purpose underlying my writing of the article. So I hope to […]