May 15, 2023
Ms. Kristin Maxson was the first to speak, touching on the planning of five thousand new homes in the county, fragile infrastructure, budget reduction, and raised concerns about the wording used by the county in regards to condemned homes, reminding the county they cannot be sold as she thought the county had said.
The second to speak was Mr. Heath Hunter, a veteran with 30% disability. In his first statement he said in a sarcastic remark a thank you to the county for, “raising my taxes, enslaving me more to the government and keeping me from providing the best care that I think is best for my family.”
He then transitioned into addressing a quote said in the last meeting by Dr. Pamela Yeung, “We have veterans among us in our community, and I thank them for their service. Veterans that are 100% disabled do not pay taxes, and our county takes a big hit at this amount, and goes up every year because they want to live in an area that has amenities and services they need. That totals to about four million [dollars] and rising.”
“Let me explain for a moment how they did give back. They gave back by giving their lives to the greatest nation on Earth, in this case the veterans you referred to sacrificed their health so you could have the ability to make the ridiculous comments I heard in the last meeting. […] But I think it’s not too much for this nation, this state and the locality to give tax exemption to these individuals, nor criticize them for it.” Hunter said.
They gave back by giving their lives to the greatest nation on Earth, in this case the veterans you referred to sacrificed their health so you could have the ability to make the ridiculous comments I heard in the last meeting.
— Mr. Heath Hunter
Later in the meeting during the reports by the board, supervisors would acknowledge the statements made by Mr. Hunter, and would clarify that they as a board what they meant to say with their previous statements, with many citing their understanding of the comments made as many have family and loved ones in the armed forces.
“I just want to say thank you, and thank you to all of our veterans. We navigate some difficult conversations on this board, and not to speak to anyone else’s comments, but we’re all trying to do the best we can. We appreciate you. I believe everyone on this board does when it really comes down to it. So thank you for everything that you’ve done.” Ms. Monica Gary, Aquia District, said.
The third and last to speak was Mr. Allen Watkins, who brought to the attention of the board his opinions, and the wider opinions, of his neighborhood on the construction of an infrastructure project that would potentially cross into their neighborhood of England Run Lane. He worries that the project would detract from the serene neighborhood.
“England Run Lane is idyllic. […] It still remains relatively quiet and rural. The smallest piece of property there winds up being two acres. There are people who spend time jogging there, walking their dogs, and everything else. It’s certainly not Celebrate Parkway, but it is a very special place that would be ruined.” Watkins said.
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