Augusta County Board of Supervisors meeting

Am attending the Augusta County Board of Supervisors meeting. Delegates Steve Landes and Dickie Bell are here along with nine members of the public, one media person, and one staffer. Out of the nine members of the public, two are candidates for supervisor including David Karaffa. It would be nice to see more of the public coming out to the meetings.

The delegates were there to present a resolution honoring the life and service of the late Orvin Kiser, Sr., who served on the board for a number of years. The resolution was sponsored by Del. Landes and co-patroned by Del. Bell, Del. Ben Cline, and State Senator Emmett Hanger. It was presented to Orvin Kiser, Jr. along with some remembrances from board members.

Tracy Pyles had some fond memories for someone he considered a dear friend even though he was a Democrat and Mr. Kiser was a Republican. They used to joke back and forth, he said, telling how Mr. Kiser wore a Bill Clinton watch that ran backwards ... and he chuckled as he recalled that as well as other antics from his fellow supervisor of eight years.

If I remember correctly, it was Orvin Kiser who suggested implementing the chairman rotation. He spoke to me about it saying it was only fair that his friend Tracy Pyles be allowed to serve as chairman, something that never would have happened with the stacked Republican majority on the board. And, indeed, that rotation stayed in place for a few years.

As I wrote when he passed away, Mr. Kiser was kind to me and, yes, I called him Mister Kiser. I was a local Republican volunteer 10 years ago, showing up to help at many of the Republican events. Sometimes while working the county fair -- Mr. Kiser in the suspervisors gazebo and me at the Republican booth -- we would visit back and forth and that's when he talked about his friend Tracy-the-Democrat. There was a genuine fondness. It was obvious that, even as tough as Tracy can be, Mr. Kiser was someone he respected.

There was also a resolution passed to honor the Sangerville-Towers Ruritan Club for 50 years of service, and a resoluton pased to honor the service of the Craigsville Fire Department for 50 years of service to that community.

They are discussing the county budget, something voters should be interested in hearing about because it involves their tax dollars.

The supervisors talked about golf carts being allowed on public roads with talk of drawing up an ordinance to bring golf carts into compliance. Supervisor Tracy Pyles pointed out that members of the public attending tonight are regulars and he wondered where were members of the community.

Next meeting, and it is open to the public, is Monday, August 23, at 1:30 when the agenda is put in place for the Board of Supervisors meeting on Wednesday, August 25, at 7 pm. Both meetings are held at Government Center in Verona.