Are We Really Out to “Get” the Powers that Be?

By Publisher Shari Johnson

Since the Ridgeview News began in January 2022, the political climate has changed. It’s not a bragging point, (that’s not who I am) But it is the reality of the situation that when Ridgeview News began making Government Meetings accessible through video and reporting of just the facts, the citizens became keenly aware of what they’d been missing. Information is absolutely key to protecting yourself from Government mishandling of your tax dollars. For many months we were focused on the County Government because there was much to focus on. More recently we have become focused on the Town of Grantsville. Which is the County Seat of the entire County. Meaning that you may not live in the City limits, but City Government certainly effects you standard of living due to it’s attractiveness to business and industry in your community.

Monday’s well attended City Council meeting was fueled by a few different issues and questionable practices of the Town of Grantsville.

1. 60% Water Rate Increase (which affects anyone with city water in the Grantsville, Pleasant Hill, Smithville, Mt. Zion, Arnoldsburg and West Fork areas.)
2. $71,000 Rejected Gift, that was given by multiple in and out of county people as well as out of state for the purpose of making Grantsville attractive to tourists and increasing traffic to the businesses in the area.
3. Improper political procedures which should never be tolerated because it hurts not only the people but the reputation of our entire community.

None of which were brought on by the people in the audience, but they wanted answers from the leadership.

In an attempt to follow up on why the City of Grantsville is in such critical financial state, Crystal Mersh requested the financials for the general and water fund for the past 3 years. There was no ledger of expenses, only a register of checks written, costing her $50.00 for the copy.

During her conversation in the City office it was discovered that there was no Yearly Financial Report published in the local news as required by WV State Code *§8-13-23.

Most people do not pay any attention to a financial report that runs in the news primarily because it’s a lot of numbers and a boring read (speaking as someone who hates numbers). But that report is the only way the community will know what the fiscal state of that organization is and how they are spending the money that the citizens invest. If you’re paying $40-100 per month for water, you deserve to know how the city is managing that business. You’re an investor. The same is true with any public utility.

You are not entitled to know how I.L. Morris financially manages Foodland, our local grocery store because that is a private business. But, you are entitled to know that the food is properly stored and handled because that directly affects you. It’s good to know what you have the right to know. It’s also good to know how seriously these things affect you.

Grantsville became the county seat in 1869, but only after a bitter struggle with Arnoldsburg, where the county offices were located at that time. The city served as the trade and industry center for oil, gas, and lumber operations along the Little Kanawha River for decades. But as those industries declined, and the jobs with it, there were very few in the Government making any attempt to fill those voids. Neither County, nor City have done as much as they should to bring business to this area. That is until 2022.

Not only did Crystal Mersh come on the scene with a $9 million gift of the Community Center that was resented by local officials, but there were others in the background making a difference that few people even knew about.

Shelia Burch (yes my sister) but don’t hold that against her, has been working diligently as the Director of the Little Kanawha Area Development Corp. to bring businesses into Calhoun County and help existing businesses prosper.

Lisa Cooper, Director of Cabot Station Recycling and Brenda Bush (with much help) have made a passionate attempt to clean up every road and stream in Calhoun County with the hopes of seeing people drawn into the area for fishing and boating and allowing people to see the beauty of our community.

The Bootstraps Organization is filled with people from throughout the community, including those I just mentioned with hundreds of ideas on how to get Calhoun County back on the map and back in the conversations in State and National Government.

There are new residents that have moved in from out of State that think we’re the bee’s knees and want to help our community grow.

There is not a bully in the bunch as some have implied. There is passion, compassion and a drive to make our community great that I can only assume threatens those who have previously been in control.

It is my understanding that the Mayor has determined to send a survey around to the citizens of Grantsville to allow them to determine whether or not Grantsville accepts the $71,000 gift. People are being told that this is going cost them more money in the long run. Please consider this analogy. If I have you a $71,000 vehicle. Would you be upset because you had to put gas in it and change the oil? No. You’d be grateful. Well those lampposts are a vehicle to an adventure the Town has not experienced since those river boats were moving up and down the river. We are on the brink of seeing great things happen in Calhoun County. But we have to stand up for the rights of the citizens. If you’re a citizen of Grantsville and you get that survey, please consider the beauty that those posts will make and the fact that if city managed their money those posts would create nothing but revenue, not costs. And in reality the costs of replacing a battery is $50.00. And those will not come all at once and are years and eya

We’re not “out to get” anyone. We’re here to make things happen so that your family and ours have a chance to live and prosper in this community and not be oppressed by the powers of the past.

*§8-13-23. PREPARATION, PUBLICATION AND DISPOSITION OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

(a) Every city, within ninety days after the beginning of each fiscal year, shall prepare on a form to be prescribed by the State Tax Commissioner and cause to be published a sworn statement revealing: (1) The receipts and expenditures of the city during the previous fiscal year; (2) the name of each person who received more than $50 during the previous fiscal year, together with the amount received; and (3) all debts of the city, the purpose for which each debt was contracted, its due date and to what date the interest on the debt has been paid. The statement shall be published as a Class I legal advertisement in compliance with the provisions of article three, chapter fifty-nine of this code and the publication area for the publication shall be the city: Provided, That all salaries, receipts, payments to each individual vendor and expenditures to employees of municipal offices, companies and departments may be published in the aggregate.