[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6210184,"mediaKeyId","3722231-e96e2e45ec6f0fedd770c7c9024e0255","parentId",3722231,"title","Board reviews grants, first-responder wellness purchases and a Rural Development letter related to Barrack Mill project","audioSeconds",2128,"startMs",2132000,"endMs",3940,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3722231-e96e2e45ec6f0fedd770c7c9024e0255&start=2132&end=3","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3722231-e96e2e45ec6f0fedd770c7c9024e0255/thumbnail_2132000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6210184/Wythe-County/Virginia/Board-reviews-grants-first-responder-wellness-purchases-and-a-Rural-Development-letter-related-to-Barrack-Mill-project","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6210184-b6c0234cced932c67e537018bc15675e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164259&Signature=klMnlXii5n4k4AebPfU0i6xFtRBGxsntxq~IjZRYCH7qVWv7o4WiDOVhY2J9l-Vjiv9P8wxsCaPtIAq4UQ0WskyhDjnlgJphYGdT19CaQBVdMMlGKpQbMyc2UljZicV37zJ1~F9Lwaxkv8Y5fBI4UpM8Be3BYZYmPCmzCSy5vHqWfjEc2HkqB3bexx2rQTDdgAqaaEEbYemxbVy3Zwqe2LixR5tc9HR1BmdO33K3nYKPIZopBukguuBcJJFKuCMOdBkYMR14NZGHZAK-7-mNFryYwMOBA7w2Nk~s2dp0LongPQfxDKOgmUK3tQd8Mh2Ybwbz8RoUAlFkpioyCYhOaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","WytheCountyVirginia","date","2025-06-05T22:25:07Z","article","County staff asked the Wythe County Board of Supervisors to accept multiple grant awards and to authorize next steps on a long-running Barrack Mill water/sewer project financed through U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development.

The county administrator requested that the board accept a $20,000 grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation to support destination marketing for family recreation and a grant from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice for first-responder wellness to fund heavy-duty, easy-to-clean task chairs for dispatchers. Separately, the sheriff's office received a first-responder wellness award of $30,000 and staff asked the board to authorize acceptance and to include those funds in next year's budget.

The board was also asked to authorize a memorandum of understanding with United Way of Southwest Virginia in an amount of about $4,900 related to a recovery effort; staff asked authorization to enter the MOU.

On the Barrack Mill project, a county official said Rural Development had issued a letter of conditions and asked the board to authorize the county administrator, after review with a consulting engineer, to execute documents necessary to obligate funding and lock a low interest rate. The presenter said the loan and grant amounts in the letter of conditions were larger than earlier estimates and noted specific figures shown in the lender's paperwork. The presenter asked for permission to proceed so the county could lock an interest rate of about 2.5 percent.

Board members made motions and seconds on several of the requests during the meeting; the parts of the transcript provided show motions and seconders for the grant acceptance and for authorization related to the Barrack Mill project but do not include the recorded roll-call outcomes in the excerpt.

Why it matters: accepting grants adds outside funding for county programs and equipment purchases; authorizing execution of Rural Development documents affects county borrowing, contract obligations and a multi-million-dollar infrastructure project.

Staff said the county has received the Rural Development conditions and that executing the documents quickly would secure favorable financing; staff requested authority for the county administrator to sign necessary documents after technical review.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Wythe County Board of Supervisors Meeting | May 27, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","County staff asked the Wythe County Board of Supervisors to accept multiple grants and to authorize the county administrator to execute Rural Development documents to obligate funding for the Barrack Mill project.","taxTitle","Wythe County, Virginia","taxId",38209,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6210189,"Wythe County hears reassessment plan from Vision; presenter promises in-person appeals after company merger",1051,1649000,2700000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3722231-e96e2e45ec6f0fedd770c7c9024e0255&start=1649&end=2700","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3722231-e96e2e45ec6f0fedd770c7c9024e0255/thumbnail_1649000.jpg","/articles/6210189/Wythe-County/Virginia/Wythe-County-hears-reassessment-plan-from-Vision-presenter-promises-in-person-appeals-after-company-merger","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6210189-88a65de16abdb9adab05ca46f7ac041a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164259&Signature=ht~McUaR7uPX9RmAOd2OPFZaPL8PlUkqbKNdMCjCcI1PxPxu6EDfbBlPikj4OFl~914KOM4awCj8H6JMz~L1YIzNoOsCksVkK07HyuCSD96WiqU4-MHjJodRO5Za9oR9A8eYyhCvdT1fx6CFMZzolmkcrH3YFZ8KktLuR700vvM5nO9kIJ2vapUF76rbwOfcasJhyqVrqh4N1Mr6Y3d3TNyytRrRKE~kB094Otti6xRYwWbzrhKHYoYAAD1ep47-hjJd6LqF5wkfdZKPA1Y~1rgDdtQPm1BfqykoJVwKmG8VITYttcSCHwhY9FVgWEBpWBBB~NU83t3HGKQp7w~UCQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Wythe County officials heard a presentation on a proposed countywide property reassessment to be conducted using Vision'brand appraisal tools and were told the vendor will provide in-person appeal opportunities in the county.

The presenter said Vision merged earlier in the year with two appraisal companies that had previously worked in Virginia, including Walter Ames and Pearson Appraisal Company, and acknowledged concerns raised previously about appraisal vendors not meeting taxpayers in person. “We are committed to doing the in person,” the presenter said, noting a current proposal includes two to three staff in the county and 10 days of in-person appeal sessions. The presenter added the company can also accept appeals by email or phone for residents who do not want to attend in person.

County officials pressed the presenter about the technical side of the reassessment and whether the merger would disrupt the system used by the commissioner of the revenue. The presenter said the Vision system is already the platform the commissioner's office uses and that, because Vision had previously worked with the county's data environment, technical problems were not expected. “There should not be any technical issues because it's their system that they are entering the numbers in,” the presenter said.

The chairman asked the board to entertain a motion to enter an agreement with Vision for the reassessment project; the transcript shows the chairman asked for that motion but does not record a vote or final outcome in the reported portion of the meeting.

Why it matters: a countywide reassessment affects property valuations used to calculate local taxes; the county's process for appeals and vendor performance influences taxpayer confidence and potential adjustments to assessments.

The transcript shows the reassessment presentation concluded with the board considering an agreement with Vision; the board did not record a final contract approval or award in the segments provided.","County officials discussed a proposed property reassessment by Vision, including in-person appeal opportunities, concerns about the vendor merger, and an administrative request to enter an agreement with Vision to proceed with the reassessment project.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6210194,"Wythe County reviews FY 2025–26 budget, proposes tax rates and requests four new child-welfare positions",2067,184000,2251000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3722231-e96e2e45ec6f0fedd770c7c9024e0255&start=184&end=2251","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3722231-e96e2e45ec6f0fedd770c7c9024e0255/thumbnail_184000.jpg","/articles/6210194/Wythe-County/Virginia/Wythe-County-reviews-FY-202526-budget-proposes-tax-rates-and-requests-four-new-child-welfare-positions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6210194-a6522b4d2c1ad39ceca4c299f4869774/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164259&Signature=KBIdnTNdZv~lEEUrPzqX4dp6Fw9JWIeoF-Yena3p00XGgqBG3iDMTBRrEHUC8aGR5cs~OfxfK~S5gsWjm3agGAp4MhtCL5oT-j8f3gp4~owI9-WZhowlkYmwCyeujOUB0d3A5MugsBmsfRNqq8d7rTA8j0b7PLWSyNoYpNamPktV7s34rVXnfxtm-vxzxnkRT~d9TtOXBPm4imR9W3eaDp~RrXXsImyxykV-XL6Ji7jASGLs~LhnQCpXq7o6We9pZBgG49-hnFst8~M0gpvhZ~1NqiAKWZE~OTEQQvD1HKJwfUznLIgoIYskWpl9arGH0Uxi2hKVqWrPG00nKSlTnQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Wythe County Board of Supervisors reviewed a draft fiscal 2025–26 budget and a proposed tax levy and heard a request to revise the county budget to add four child-welfare positions that the Commonwealth is funding in part.

The county read its budget synopsis and the notice of public hearing for the school budget. The proposed tax rates presented to the board were: real estate $0.51 per $100 of assessed value; tangible personal property $2.22; machinery and tools $1.50; and merchants’ capital $0.56. The public comment period on the tax levy included no signed speakers and was closed, the board’s chair said.

The request to change the county budget came from the county social services office, which said the Virginia General Assembly had allocated 60 child-welfare worker positions statewide and that Wythe County had been allocated four of those positions. “I cannot express to you how monumental that is,” the Social Services Director told the board, and asked the supervisors to revise the local budget to include the four new positions and the required local matching funds. The presenter said the package is structured so that, if the county accepts the full package including the local match, the positions would become part of the ongoing base budget.

Board members and staff discussed next steps. The county administrator said final revisions to the budget would be returned to the board on June 10 and, unless objections were raised, the administrator would include the additional roughly $400,000 in the revised budget to cover the state allocation and the required local match. The administrator noted the budget document is prepared from estimates and requests from constitutional officers, agencies and department heads and that inclusion in the draft does not constitute an appropriation until the board adopts a budget.

The school division’s proposed total expenditures were read into the record during the hearing. The county administrator summarized other proposed capital and operating items in the draft budget including about $1.1 million for fire-rescue vehicles, about $2.5 million for the Dunford Road project, more than $600,000 for transportation-related projects, and roughly $500,000 for courthouse and library HVAC and related capital work. The administrator also said the county’s overall budget is roughly $400,000 less than last year while the school board’s proposed budget shows an increase of roughly $2.2 million and an increase in local operating funds of about $1.4 million.

Why it matters: the supervisors set tax rates and appropriate funds; adding state-funded child-welfare positions changes local staffing and long-term payroll obligations because the local match will become part of the county’s base budget if the board accepts the package.

The board did not take a final appropriation vote on the budget during the portions of the meeting covered in the transcript; the administrator indicated a revised budget would be returned for action at a later meeting.","The Wythe County Board of Supervisors heard a budget presentation that includes proposed tax rates, the school division’s proposed budget and a request to revise county spending to add four child-welfare positions funded in part by the state; public comment on the tax levy was closed with no speakers.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6210179,"County staff report 24-hour 911 outage, say redundancies failed and seek fixes",467,2443000,2910000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3722231-e96e2e45ec6f0fedd770c7c9024e0255&start=2443&end=2910","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3722231-e96e2e45ec6f0fedd770c7c9024e0255/thumbnail_2443000.jpg","/articles/6210179/Wythe-County/Virginia/County-staff-report-24-hour-911-outage-say-redundancies-failed-and-seek-fixes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6210179-f5d2b19de7ee5d2a203c56bd686960da/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164259&Signature=Xm4EgoyQi20Jjk6NDi1-gJANO5zqSwCu6VNKzpfTu4a2Sa34bVlL3GZgn-ocKROhYCzQ6WTuMx~KLAeMa-R5WVLE-Yjbini-g0Vgq80iPCibUiG4NMM13uXtXpUMFyHjhwLT2OGaP-vvy-sKIAsoslUh3FIzkMkshr-RlZ239iToxgeHw-GE1xFKMCAi-W6pb9BynrrWr~cGwbDX3SXFeHMao925kpxNC-xN1LhNP~UdBYFCYmkd3gN3XQR59Ys8Y1t2yLJ0EM4c5QqlL17nvmMLlGiaq1w0OJvhBzpsYlRZwwaIOKk1ESVTtxHIhm3BrcMZZPMmFiheEg33~-Y7nA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County staff told the Wythe County Board of Supervisors about a 24-hour outage of the 911 system that was traced to failed broadband equipment in the county building and said existing redundancies did not operate as expected.

The presenter said county staff and outside vendors engaged with a 911 support office (BDM) and with carriers and call-handling providers during the outage. Because the county's redundancies failed, emergency calls were immediately routed to Twin County, which answered and then had to transfer calls back to Wythe County via a desk phone in the deputy director's office. The presenter called the 24-hour experience \"a rough 24 hours for everybody\" and said the county has pressed carriers and providers to improve response times for outage reports.

County staff said they have identified weaknesses in redundancies and planned either to repair or replace equipment to reduce the risk of a repeat outage. The presenter said the county expects follow-up work to strengthen redundancies and avoid the same failure points in future.

Why it matters: a sustained 911 outage created risk to public safety, required manual call-transfer workarounds and prompted staff to seek equipment and process changes to restore reliable emergency-call routing.

The board requested more information and staff said they would pursue vendor fixes and equipment changes to prevent recurrence.","Wythe County officials described a 24-hour 911 outage caused by carrier/equipment failure; emergency calls overflowed to Twin County and staff said redundancies did not operate as intended and replacement or reconfiguration of equipment is planned.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board reviews grants, first-responder wellness purchases and a Rural Development letter related to Barrack Mill project

Wythe County hears reassessment plan from Vision; presenter promises in-person appeals after company merger

Wythe County reviews FY 2025–26 budget, proposes tax rates and requests four new child-welfare positions

County staff report 24-hour 911 outage, say redundancies failed and seek fixes