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EDITORIAL: Leadership position: Strong nominee needed for boardAug 14, 2012 (Bluefield Daily Telegraph - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Concerned citizens in the Northern District of Tazewell County should give ample consideration to a vacancy on the county Board of Supervisors. Dr. Tom Brewster, who had served as the Northern District member of the supervisors since Jan. 1, resigned the post last week after accepting a position as superintendent for Pulaski County schools. Virginia law prohibits an individual from serving both on the supervisors and as a school superintendent at the same time. Brewster said he came to the difficult decision after much personal reflection with family and friends. He thanked his fellow board members, County Administrator Jim Spencer and area residents for the positive work accomplished so far in both the Northern District and Tazewell County as a whole. The Northern District spans a wide area, including Pocahontas, Abbs Valley, Boissevain, Falls Mills, and parts of Bandy, Adria and other communities. Mike Hymes, chairman of the supervisors, said it is unfortunate that state code prohibits Brewster from continuing to serve on the Tazewell board while school superintendent in Pulaski County. However, there is a legal process in place that the board must now follow to fill the vacant Northern District seat. Hymes said the process is outlined in state code, and will be implemented by the board in the next few weeks. The code calls for a temporary filling of the board seat, and includes the advertisement of the position, acceptance of resumes from Northern District residents, and the selection of a replacement by the current board and approval by a circuit court judge. Brewster's departure leaves the board with two Democratic members, Hymes of the Southern District and Charlie Stacy of the Eastern District, and two Republican members, Seth White of the Northwestern District and John Asbury of the Western District. Once a temporary replacement board member is found for the Northern District, then an election will be scheduled according to state code allowing voters of the Northern District to select a permanent replacement. However, at this point, it's not clear how soon such an election can be scheduled. County Attorney Eric Young is currently researching the matter on behalf of the board. In the meantime, all concerned residents of the Northern District should consider getting a resume ready. If you have an interest in serving your community, and bettering the Northern District, you should consider submitting a resume. Anyone interested in being appointed to fill this vacancy is asked to write: Supervisor Mike Hymes, chairman, 108 East Main Street, Tazewell, Va., 24651 Despite the occasional political squabble or two, the five-elected members of the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors have historically been a proactive and progressive board. We would like to see a continuation of this positive progress with the addition of a dynamic nominee willing to promote positive progress not only in the Northern District, but across Tazewell County as a whole. Interested candidates should take note. ___ (c)2012 the Bluefield Daily Telegraph (Bluefield, W.Va.) Visit the Bluefield Daily Telegraph (Bluefield, W.Va.) at bdtonline.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |