Town and County Depart from Liaison Meeting with Action Plan

For anyone who has been discouraged by previous liaison meetings in which Town and County parted ways with the resolution to talk more in the future, the January 15 liaison meeting should be a tonic of relief. Mayor Lori Cockrell and Councilman Bruce Rappaport sat down with Supervisors Cheryl Cullers and Tony Carter, attended by Clerk of Council Tina Presley, Town Manager Joseph Petty, and County Administrator Bradley Gotshall, to have a focused discussion of matters that concern both the Town and the County. Woven throughout their exchange was the necessity of mobilizing their respective staff to do more effectively what a consultant can only try to do. For an urgent item like economic development, they resolved not to let 6 months pass without meeting to act on it.

Representatives from Town and County gather for a liaison meeting on January 15. Royal Examiner Photo Credits: Brenden McHugh

Both parties affirmed their desire to collaborate on tourism. The mayor described the current situation in which the Town, through Tourism Director Lizi Lewis, is running a well-defined program that benefits the County, as Lewis and her team undertake marketing not only for attractions in Front Royal but also for those outside the town. Cullers addressed the history of joint tourism, highlighting efforts that have worked and those that have not, ultimately pointing to the Joint Tourism Committee, which currently features many community players and meets regularly, striving to save costs and maximize collaboration. The point was made that when the two entities can advertise jointly, they should do so. Rappaport quoted an African proverb: “When people travel together, they arrive more quickly.”

Of particular interest to the mayor was whether the County intends to increase tipping fees in the next fiscal year on residential solid waste collected by the Town and delivered to a county facility. Beginning on July 1, 2024, this additional tax came as a surprise to taxpayers in Front Royal, as it was a double tax on what they already pay for the county transfer station. Gotshall’s response to the mayor’s question was that the budget, as it is currently articulated, does not indicate such a move, although that does not account for what may transpire when the board reviews it. All the same, the supervisors expressed regret over the surprise nature of the 2024 change and promised to give advanced notice in the future should a similar event occur. Carter quoted Cool Hand Luke: “What we have here is a failure to communicate.”

At a previous liaison meeting, the County proposed that both entities meet with the Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation to hear the latter’s vision for McKay Springs, should it assume management of the property. The mayor expressed willingness to hear what the foundation has to say. The discussion then turned to the County’s well ordinance, which, if implemented, would make industrial users in the corridor dependent on the town for water, given its prohibition on any industrial user drilling a well. If a string of requests for out-of-town service is forthcoming, the Town needs to know. The supervisors expressed that this item is not currently on the table. But it could be soon. Then, infrastructure for economic development was identified as a target to be met quickly; the County affirmed the ongoing effort to update the fiscal impact model so that development and relevant proffers can be made intelligently; and in closing, Cullers expressed concern about the Rail Trail project, wherein pedestrian safety should be the foremost consideration.