LTTE: Ruckersville Resident Urges Greene Taxpayers Get Involved With County Government

Greene County held a town hall event at the Four Seasons Club House Tuesday evening, specifically to discuss Greene’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget. It was well attended and there were some excellent questions and dialogue. I look forward to the second event to be held at the Dyke Volunteer Fire House at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Town hall events are not common; however, other county meetings take place regularly.

The board of supervisors meets twice monthly and the school board meets once a month, as does the planning commission. Regular occuring topics, such as public hearings regarding special use permits and planned unit developments, are presented to the planning commission.

The item then goes before the supervisors for a vote.

Watching or listening to board meetings from home is probably more appealing to many; however attending the meetings is more powerful.

There are many communities within Greene, such as Deer Lake Estates, Greenecroft, Hancock Farms, Holly Hill, and Preddy Creek.

In order to stay informed of the happenings of the county, I encourage residents from each neighborhood to start attending the meetings. Share your findings from the meetings with your neighbors and friends via message boards, social media, and gatherings.

How many of us have taken the time to call, write, or email our board of supervisor representatives?

Have we encouraged them, challenged their position on issues, asked for their help, or thanked them?

They are making consequential decisions at almost every meeting that affect us. Are they voting according to their constituents’ wishes, or voting solely on what they think our wishes are because we are not engaging with them?

Our county is being shaped during these meetings. Do you want a say in Greene’s future?

Although the board is currently focused on the budget, there are plenty of other important decisions being made regularly. For example, new businesses are springing up next to Tractor Supply, and smaller home-based businesses are a regular occurrence before the board.

The amount of large construction projects along the U.S. Route 29 corridor is quite evident, and Creekside and the Village in the far southeast corner of Greene are under construction. All of these projects were presented to the board, some of them years ago.

So, my challenge to every Greene County citizen is to take an active part in our county. And, quite frankly, standing before the supervisors on the evening that they are voting on a public hearing item is probably too late.

Have a meaningful conversation with your supervisor prior to the meetings. Paying attention to the agenda items is crucial. Start by signing up to receive the board of supervisor agendas automatically, or make it a habit to check the county’s website weekly.

The board has a daunting task. The five members cannot be experts in every aspect of county government. The residents of Greene County have a wealth of knowledge in various fields which would be beneficial for the board of supervisors to tap into.

Share your ideas, creative solutions, and concerns. Let’s brainstorm together for the sake of Greene.

Jennifer Lewis-Fowler

Ruckersville

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