Previously I had written about the Jefferson County Emergency Services and the ambulance fee/tax based on conversations with Ramona Wesling, a concerned citizen that has been attending the monthly meetings. Based on those conversations I wrote the following: “Commissioner Jane Tabb is the county’s representative on the JCESA Board. However, the president of the JCESA Board and another board member have stepped down and as a result, Commissioner Tabb is now the president of the JCESA as well as serving as the county commission’s representative on the board. Does this not seem odd? I also find it odd that the Commission’s attorney is also its chief administrator. Initially the title was ‘acting’ chief administrator. Now the assignment is permanent. Is the dual role still in effect?”

Subsequently I was contacted by Commissioner Tabb who offered clarifications on both points, for which I thank her. According to Tabb, Stephanie Grove was appointed interim County Administrator when the previous administrator resigned. Said Tabb, “While Stephanie served as interim, applications were coming to the Commission office…once the Commission selected candidates to interview, these were conducted by the Commission (Stephanie Grove was only present for her interview).  During this ‘interim’ period, Stephanie continued in her role as legal counsel for the Commission since that is the position she would return to full time if not selected for County Administrator”. Tabb added that going forward she is “sure we will still be receiving legal advice from Stephanie since she is an attorney, but another staff member from the Prosecuting Attorney’s office will represent the Commission and departments in court, legal counsel and research”. I appreciate Commissioner Tabb’s response - that answers the question I raised.

Regarding Tabb’s role on in JCESA she responded that she was elected to serve as chair pro-tem for the JCESA February 17th meeting as the current chair had stepped down until an employee complaint is resolved and the vice chair was absent due to illness. Said Tabb, “Per Roberts Rules, in the absence of the chair and vice chair, a president/chair pro-tem should be elected to preside at that one meeting.  [Emphasis hers]. I was elected as chair pro-tem … I am not and have never served as President/chair.  This situation was not odd, but rather the proper manner to handle the situation”. However, she did acknowledge that she is the elected Treasurer of JCESA.

This does not clarify the point I was trying to make, nor does it answer the question I raised. The fact is that Commissioner Tabb is acting in a dual role. She is the County Commission’s liaison to the JCESA and she is also an officer of the JCESA. As the county’s liaison she would be expected to perform a supervisory role. As the Treasurer she is an advocate, an officer for the JCESA. Does this present any potential conflicts?

In another follow up to a previous column, it appears that there might be enough support in both houses of the West Virginia legislature to pass a repeal of Common Core, which would make our state the fourth to do so - although there are many states in the process. According to an article that appeared recently in the Charleston Daily Mail, “the bill asserts [that] the standards are an ‘inappropriate usurpation of state sovereignty over public education’ “. This reportedly has the unelected members of the state level Board of Education in a tizzy.

Posted on the WV Against Common Core was this announcement: “State Board of Education President Gayle Manchin has called an EMERGENCY MEETING of the State BOE for today to discuss what appears to be the imminent repeal by the WV legislature of Common Core in West Virginia’s public schools. The REPEAL OF COMMON CORE has garnered support from Republicans and Democrats in both the WV State Senate and the House of Delegates. Rumors from the state capitol are that the State BOE knows that both houses of the legislature have the votes to repeal Common Core. A high ranking official with the State Department of Education has indicated that the State BOE will discuss retaining legal counsel to keep the legislature from ‘dictating academic and curriculum standards to the State Board of Education’ “. Funny way to put it - the elected body, the legislature is “dictating” to the unelected (appointed) Board of Education.

Finally, to come full circle back to Jefferson County, the local Board of Education has already taken legal action against the County Commission. Judge John Yoder issued a temporary stay pending a hearing on the Commission’s decision to reduce impact fees. Stay tuned.

I have to hand it to the County Commission - or at least to the three commissioners that voted for the reduction. It was Commissioner Pellish that made the motion, supported by Commissioners Noland and Bell. Commissioners Tabb and Manuel voted against the reduction.

The knock on government and government programs is that once a tax or program is instituted in the vast majority of cases it continues to grow - in size, scope and cost - forever. Here we have one of those important moments where elected officials demonstrate an awareness that government cannot continue to grow forever without causing a corresponding shrinkage in the real economy. Said Pellish, “I support impact fees, but I think they’re out of whack, we need growth in this county”.

Hey, it’s not the revolution, but it’s a start.