Contributing writer Bonnie Cranmer
On a chilly night in February, the Craig County Board of Supervisors met at the courthouse. Member Jordan Labiosa added the land use issue to the “Old Business” agenda just as the meeting was about to begin. Attendance by the public was light. Board members that were present included Labiosa, Carl Bailey and Chairman Jesse Spence.
After Brian Blevins monthly VDOT report, Woody Lipps reported on the Craig Valley Railbed Trail. The volunteer committee met recently and Lipps shared that a public meeting will be announced soon. The Craig County website has extensive information about the project history and the process moving forward. https://craigcountyva.gov/craig-valley-railbed-committee/
Pat Franklin, Director of the Craig County Department of Social Services gave an overview of the residents receiving services in the county. SNAP recipients have increased each year since 2021, serving 773 in 2024. Social Services maintains a food bank, with personal care items like shampoo and soap, along with supplemental food for residents. Franklin reviewed the status for children referred to the system, and stated that those individuals receiving services were all from Craig County, not from another jurisdiction.
Next came “Old Business.” The Land Use issue has been presented to the Board of Supervisors since mid-2024. It was proposed by the citizen committee, researched by county officials, presented options to the board by Virginia Tech land use experts and received community feedback. Jordan Labiosa, representing the Craig City District, presented the case that a change in land use real estate tax rates is not for Craig County at this time and proposed a motion to end the discussion.
Labiosa issues an annual public survey and included a question about land use policy in the recent survey. Over 200 responses were received and only 15% of those were in favor of the change in policy. “While I opposed the current real estate tax rate in favor of a lower one – Craig County has the lowest real estate tax rate of any surrounding locality – even 30% lower than Giles County and 63% lower than the regional average. Even without land use, our farmers already pay lower taxes than they would in surrounding localities.”
Labiosa’s motion was to table the land use discussion indefinitely, end any investment in resources from the administration’s office to the effort, and require “all future land use presentations to be part of the “Hear the Public” agenda for equal representation of the issue.” The motion passed.
Jim Joyce did provide more information about land use policies during the ”Hear the Public” segment at the end of the meeting. The citizen group has researched options for off-setting the funds necessary for the program, and other benefits. Angie Guthrie-Ponton, organizer of the group, shared “I love my community. I love my farmers… After what happened on Thursday on Land Use, I was truly very hurt…I thought what went down, not being on the agenda was not right. All we wanted was the normal process.” Another commentator stated, “Transparency is what we as Americans want with all forms of government and representation.” The Board of Supervisors meets again on Thursday, March 6 at 6 p.m. at the Courthouse.
