New Roanoke County Board of Supervisors Vice-Chairman Ed Elswick does not expect an easy time serving on the board. He expects there to be hurt feelings and questions, but “that’s the way local politics can be.” He says he was elected “to represent the people, not the party.”
He freely states that even though he is a conservative Republican, he is not a politician. He has no political ambitions beyond his four year term on the board and probably will not run again due to other obligations.
The reason he voted for Butch Church, an Independent, as Chairman of the board, was because he felt it was his time. “Butch has been on the board forever, he has a good heart and a big ego and talks a lot, but it was his turn to serve.” Elswick said there should not be a political association with our tax dollars at this level and it makes no sense to vote for someone just because of his or her party affiliation. He has been lambasted over that decision, but he is holding firm to his beliefs. “You could vote a villain into office simply because he is in your party,” he added. In his opinion, both the Democrats and Republicans have been “taxing and spending” way too much lately. “I think Mike Altizer and Richard Flora are superior in terms of knowledge about county projects and how we spend our money. I have tons of respect for both men.”
According to Elswick there are two main reasons why he ran for the board – the gypsy moths and the recreation center. Several years ago the gypsy moths invaded Bent Mountain and were stripping and destroying the oak trees. Elswick and a group of residents went to the Board of Supervisors and asked them to supply the funds to have the moths eradicated. The board told him the moths “would stop at the river” and refused to spend the $200,000 needed. Instead, the board spent $200,000 remodeling their board room. The moths ended up destroying over 3 million dollars worth of trees, and are expected to invade the Roanoke Valley this year. The cost to kill the moths is expected to be in the millions. Elswick said, “Once the moths reach the rich neighborhoods and the residents start complaining, the board will have to listen.”
His second reason was the new recreation center in Northwest County, which cost the taxpayers 32 million, just for construction. Elswick said the county is obligated to pay 2.5 million a year on the bond, which includes principle and interest, for a total cost of 54 million by the time it is paid for. It will not even cover basic expenses until year four, which are projected at two million dollars a year. He felt it was not a good use of taxpayer money.
Elswick says he is on the board to help Roanoke County lower taxes and lower assessments and be accountable for where the money goes. He said he would have voted “No” on the recreation center and “No” on the library because these two expenditures produce no revenue to pay off their bonds, and if no revenue is produced, the taxpayers pay the bonds. He promises to vote against any spending unless it has to be done, with “no niceties” allowed. He is upset that county taxpayers have seen their taxes doubled in just ten years or so and he promises to put a stop to it.
Elswick has taken it upon himself to learn about every department in the county and what its function is. He has toured extensively with County Administrator Clay Goodman and has met with county managers and employees. “These people have the best morale I have ever seen, and they have a lot to worry about. County employees are dedicated and hard working and we are so lucky to have Clay Goodman,” said Elswick.
One item that Elswick is excited to vote “Yes” on is the development on Slate Hill, now called South Peak. It will be financed through the Community Development Authority with bonds that are backed by the property itself. If something goes wrong and the land is not developed, the taxpayers are not liable for the bonds. He sees this as a way to provide responsible development without taxpayer financing.
Elswick is developing a system to receive resident feedback in every district in the county. He wants to do a survey that is comprehensive and statistically valid and represents the whole county. “This is the way to let people know the impact on taxes so they can vote the right way,” stated Elswick. “We will be able to say to them, this project will cost this amount of money and your taxes are responsible for this amount of money. Now you can see the whole picture and vote with knowledge.” He wants people to contact him with their concerns at [email protected].
Elswick said, “I am 68 years old, I have worked in finance for 31 years and I am not obligated to anyone. In these times, we need to do everything we can to bring jobs and businesses to the valley. Greenways and recreation centers are nice, but they don’t bring jobs.” He thinks more attention should be paid to the rural areas of the county, such as Bent Mountain. The elementary school on the mountain is closing at the end of this school year and the building will be left empty, costing taxpayers for the upkeep, but with no benefit. “Why don’t we turn it into a charter school, or let the citizens take it over and use it as a community center?” asks Elswick. “It could be under the Parks & Recreation department with citizen management; we could have a restaurant and live music. The point is, it could generate revenue for the county, instead of the county funding an empty building, at taxpayer expense.”
“The county knows how to do things the right way, just look at the 911 center. It is better than what the State Police have and looks like a NASA control center,” said Elswick. “And look at our firemen. They have no egos, they love their job, and they found a way to save the county money by maintaining their own equipment instead of using an outside vendor. They were the only emergency responders to our big snow storm. They were the only ones to walk miles in the snow on I-81 helping the stranded motorists. We should be so proud of them and we did give them a commendation at our last board meeting.”
Elswick wants to remind people that he is a fiscal conservative, and he plans to vote that way, every time. “If Butch thinks I am his ally, he is wrong. If it raises taxes, I am against it. I am an old fashioned conservative with Republican values and I will battle against liberals and Republicans who don’t hold our principles. Period.”
By Carla Bream [email protected]