A violent and disturbing week

This week's Union Star was filled with some disturbing stuff. We had a domestic shooting, a robbery that then had the perpetrator waving a gun at the woman's house, some drunk drivers and other criminals. Is there something in the water this week? Or is it just a freaky ending to what has been a downer year for most people?

And what has happened with getting a new town manager? We saw the ads, but haven't heard anything else.

Christmas is coming

Is anyone planning on going in the Christmas parade?

What family traditions do you have in Brookneal?

Cold Spell

What's up with the weather? I think this is the earliest it has been this cold since I moved here. I heard there were snow flurries a few times! I wonder if we'll have a white Christmas?

Any news that anyone wants to share?

Brookneal on Fox News

Looks like Brookneal was on Fox News Hometown report.


http://opportunities.blogs.foxbusiness.com/

Looks like they missed mentioning several issues that have concerned the town for the past several months.

They must think we're stupid!

I've read all the local papers and studied the election results. We've got 331 write in votes. Two of the papers state that one of the write in candidates won. Our own newspaper says different. The registrar's office says different.
The registrar's office acknowledges that there were 331 write in votes, but assigns only 65 to Sonya, 55 to Tamera and 45 to Ken. This doesn't add up to 331. Does that means there are 160+ write in votes that are so messed up that they don't count? How is that possible? During the election two years ago there were 94 write in votes and they managed to count the votes correctly. So why can't they count these correctly? Why the big delay?
I feel that someone is keeping their finger on this because they don't want to lose a few yes votes on the council!

Election Results: Unofficial

The unofficial election results I have are:

Phyllis Campbell: Mayor

Champ Nowlin
Richard Adams
Phillip Shepperd

Looks like Mr. Hailey got booted off, which is a good thing!

I also heard there was a large amount of write-in votes, but because of confusions, misspelling and combining names that a large number had to be kicked out as not counting.
Mr. Jennings also did well as a write-in for mayor, and had he been on the ballot I believe he would have unseated the incumbent. Two years from now he better be ready to run!

Congratulations to Mr. Shepperd for getting on the council and stepping up to run.
And a big thank you to our write in candidates for their efforts and concern for the community.
Things are not set in stone for the incumbents. Enough bad behavior and the community can certainly get rid of them.

Combing the Classifieds

I've been waiting for the council to make good on their June promise to hire a new town manager. Hasn't happened so far, and the scuttlebutt is that Mr. Adams and Mayor Campbell are 100% behind keeping Mr. Crews in place.

So I was surprised to see this ad in the Lynchburg News and Advance:

TOWN Manager: The Town of Brookneal, Virginia Town Manager, Town of Brookneal (population 1300)-part time, will consider full time. Manages/directs daily operations and oversees department heads; provides professional administration of all town affairs; and represents the town on regional boards. Serves at pleasure of mayor and six member Town Council. Should possess knowledge of public administration, financial management, and personnel management. Send resume, cover letter, and chronological work and salary history to Town Manager Search Committee, P. O. Box 450, Brookneal, Virginia 24528. Application review will begin immediately.


Is there a Town Manager Search Committee? I've never seen any mention in the paper about who was on it, what their selection criteria was and when they would let the residents know that they were working on actually getting us a town manager.

When you compare the above ad to the actual wording of the Town charter it appears that they missed advertising for several key components. Seems like the ad "dumbs" down the requirements of the charter, which is the only way they can slip their already selected choice in.

http://dls.state.va.us/lrc/charters/Brookneal.pdf
§ 19. Town manager.—(a) The council may appoint a town manager who shall
be the chief administrative officer of the town and shall be chosen solely on the basis of
his executive and administrative qualifications, and shall have some knowledge of civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering. He need not, when appointed, be a resident of the town, or of the Commonwealth of Virginia, but shall during his term of office, reside within the Commonwealth of Virginia, and shall be appointed for such term as he and the
council agree upon, not to exceed town years, but in any event, to end with the term of
the council making the appointment. The town manager may be suspended or removed
by the council for any cause it deems sufficient, provided that no order of suspension or
removal shall be made until after he shall have been given at least five days’ notice in
writing, stating the cause for such suspension or removal and fixing a day when he may
be heard thereon. The action of the council, suspending or removing the town manager,
shall be final. The council may place the control and supervision of the police force of the town under either the mayor or the town manager.

I'm guessing that our current town manager doesn't have any engineering degrees, civil, mechanical, electrical or otherwise. And from the looks of the ad that this mysterious selection committee ran it doesn't look like any degrees are going to be required. In fact the only requirement will be "serving the Mayor". Let's just admit to ourselves, fellow residents: The Mayor has no intention of hiring anyone with enough brains and backbone to tell her "No."

I find it embarassing that the town is advertising for an important position with such a lack of professionalism. Are we so low rent that we advertise for a public administrator in the same manner that Hardy's fills its employee quota?

Here's my prediction: No one that is even qualified to be a town manager will apply, because they are going to blow past this pathetic advertising effort thinking that the salary is lower than the night manager at Bubba's All Night Bait and Beer. The only people that will apply are the one already "working" for the town, and maybe someone between custodian jobs at the various state run prison farms.

Get out and vote people! Take the time and make some changes in this town!