Mayor, Town Council seek EDA financial answers, not just future plans

County Administrator Doug Stanley watches as Interim Town Mayor Matt Tederick makes his perceptions about the EDA’s future known at July 18 Town-County Liaison meeting. Royal Examiner File Photos/Roger Bianchini. Video by Mark Williams, Royal Examiner.

In a work session following the Front Royal Town Council meeting of Monday, August 12, the format and parameters of the joint meeting of the full council and Warren County Board of Supervisors regarding the future of the Town-County Economic Development Authority was a hot topic of conversation. That joint Town-County-EDA meeting is scheduled for tonight, August 13, at 6 p.m. at the Villa Avenue Community Center.

The proposed agenda send to Interim Mayor Matthew Tederick included a presentation from the County side with updates on the distribution of property along with a time frame update. However Mayor Tederick brought this to the council with hesitance, stating, “We need necessary and pertinent information, but is that the best use of this joint meeting?”

Councilman Jacob Meza agreed, stating, “I would rather be able to sit down with the board of supervisors and discuss the greatest disaster between the County and the Town than sit through a 45-minute presentation given to us by the EDA board.”

Councilman Eugene Tewalt appeared to hit a middle ground, saying, “I want to get information – and I want to ask them some pertinent questions.”

It seemed that council was willing to move forward with the meeting including an EDA presentation, so long as EDA officials and the county board complied with giving information that council wants.

Tederick propelled the joint meeting forward with his July 18 Town-County Liaison Committee meeting statement that the Town could dissolve the EDA unilaterally and take half the remaining assets. If palpable tension was apparent in the wake of that assertion, it might be explained by some events leading up to it. After having a series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for details of the EDA fraud investigation rejected by EDA/County Attorney Dan Whitten, the Town filed a lawsuit initially seeking return of about $3 million in Town assets, a number since raised to an estimate of $15 million in recoverable assets the Town believes it is owed by the EDA.

County Board Chairman Dan Murray and Mayor Tederick eventually agreed it may take their full boards to reach common ground on the future of the EDA.

The issues with miscommunication between the EDA and Town Council became apparent when the next agenda item, financing of the new Front Royal Police Department headquarters, was reached. Due to confusion over what the EDA owes the Town, issues concerning the Town Budget cannot be resolved, town officials indicated.

“Who’s currently paying the debt service on this building – the EDA who has not provided the proper services and documentation to make those payments?” Tederick asked, adding, “We should not discuss any financing for the police department until we get documentation from the EDA.”

The Town’s elected officials and staff will seek some clarity on FRPD financing obligations, and the Town’s overall financial relationship with the EDA at tonight’s meeting.

See the work session discussion and Vice Mayor William Sealock’s response to Royal Examiner questions in the following videos.
(Roger Bianchini contributed to this story)