James Goodman.
James Goodman.
Richland_clinch_valley
Open house shows off new look for Teen Venture
Crew members getting the center ready for the new season.
Richlands Va. – After several months of work and generous donations, Venture showed off its fresh look Sept. 5.
Teen Venture purchased the building from the town last November and immediately began reorganizing and revamping programs and the facility.  The open house gave members of the public a chance to tour the facility, which now features several innovative programs.
“Our crews have grown, our programs have grown, and our policies and expectations have grown with them. We have new crews, new opportunities, new spaces, and new ways for our teens to take ownership and become leaders,’ a post on the group’s Facebook page said.
While the 5,200 feet skateboard park is the centerpiece, it is far from the only program offered. The recording studio and radio room have been updated as well as the area for artists to show their skills.
Dungeons and Dragons and Magic, the gathering, will continue in upgraded spaces. The kitchen and baking crew still have its space as does the gymnastics program. Center leaders are excited to show off the new 3D movie theater.
Recognizing the need for children who need it to have safe space, the center now offers a sensory room for neurodivergent members. Belegarth, a full contact medieval combat sport using foam padded weapons, is the latest addition to the program list.
Rock climbing, podcasting, and entrepreneurial crews are also offered, and each crew has its own leader. During the reorganization, the center transitioned from being strictly an organization for teens to programming for grade six through 17 years of age.
The center is open for members Monday through Thursday from 3 until 8 p.m. public skating and other special programs are offered on Saturdays. For more information visit teenventurecenter.org.
Captains from Graham and Heritage await the coin toss.
Captains from Graham and Heritage await the coin toss.
Board analyzing ways to fund new schools
Tazewell Va – Financing new schools could be a challenge for Tazewell County.
County Administrator Eric Young said the supervisors and school board began working on new schools in 2022. The two boards met jointly in March and have been working on a plan for the first school since then.
During its Sept. 1 meeting, supervisors discussed financing options for new buildings with a representative of Davenport and Company, its financial adviser. The report looked at three revenue streams: coal severance tax revenues, a 1 percent sales tax increase and, if needed, real estate tax revenues.
The first school project the board has on the drawing board is in the Richlands area and would house grades four through seven. That building, which would be on the current Richlands school campus, is projected to cost $63 million.
The county already has $13 million in the form of a grant from the state’s school construction assistance program. The remaining $50 million would come from long-term borrowing.
Officials also ran scenarios on a second school, which would cost $85 million and would also have to be financed. The two schools combined would cost $135 million.
Davenport evaluated coal severance tax revenue and the 1 percent local option sales tax. The option to add 1 percent to the sales tax for school capital projects was approved by the General Assembly during their latest session.
Imposing the sales tax would require voter approval, and it would expire in 20 years, unless the legislature extends it. Personal hygiene items and some food and beverages are excluded from the tax.
Davenport used 10 years of local sales tax data and estimated the restriction would lower the amount collected by 15 percent. Using that data, they estimated the 1 percent increase would generate $5.5 million annually.
The group estimated the current school system debt would be paid off in 2029 and that money could go toward financing the new school. County Administrator Eric Young said the county’s current debt service would be paid in full in 2046, but he did not want to budget it for the school fund.
Officials estimated 5 percent interest in both notes with 30-year paybacks. The company also provided scenarios projecting what effect the new schools would have on the county tax rate.
Davenport based its estimates for the coal severance revenue on coal being sold at $125 per ton. Under the current agreement 25 percent of the coal severance money goes to VCEDA for economic development and another 25 percent for road maintenance and improvements.
The county has an agreement with Coronado that requires a portion of the money be returned to Coronado as an annual incentive until the total contribution reaches $5 million.
Davenport estimates the county will start receiving revenue from Coronado in 2027 and projected it until 2043 with the county having a total of $29,563,735 of it available for debt service during that time.
Using zero growth in revenue and only the coal severance money building just one school and creating $50 million would result in a tax increase of seven cents. Building both schools under that scenario would result in a 28-cent tax hike.
Davenport’s projections show one new school could be built without raising taxes using the combination of coal severance money and a 1 percent sales tax increase. The addition of the second school could require a tax hike of 26 cents.
The study showed a 2 percent growth in sales tax revenue and assessed value would allow the county to construct both schools by adding an additional $14 cents to the tax rate.
County ends fiscal year in the black
Tazewell County ended the 2026 fiscal year with $5.282 million in its general fund.
Treasurer David Larimer delivered the annual settlement report at the Sept.1 meeting of the board of supervisors. The county had $39,105,338.70 in committed funds on hand to start the new fiscal year.
Larimer also delivered the delinquent tax report to the board. The report showed a delinquent rate of 11.41 percent on real estate which translated to $10,024,040.46.
He said that rate will go down as past due payments come in. Virginia law requires payments from customers with multiyear delinquencies to be applied to the oldest bill first.
Larimer presented a chart showing the collections for five years and the balance declined each year with the delinquent rate for 2021 being less than one percent for both real estate and personal property.
In other action the board:
*Received the audit for 2025 and learned that they received an unqualified opinion.
*Ratified a poll vote to donate $2,500 from northwestern district funds to the town of Cedar Bluff for the annual fall festival.
*Ratified a poll vote to transfer $15,000 from the Raven/Doran flood mitigation match to the building and grounds account to improve the hiking trail at Raven Elementary.
*Heard from County Engineer Ken Dunford that the contractor has mobilized to start construction on the new cell at the landfill.
*Heard from Dunford that the contractor has started work on the pond at Richlands Elementary.
*Held a public hearing and voted to approve a plan for considering requests from the ban on use of Styrofoam containers by food service businesses.
*Heard from Jackie Dawson of Yards with concerns about lack of fire hydrants and fire hydrants.
*Approved the 2027 contract with Cumberland Mountain Community Services.
*Approved the private crossing agreement with Norfolk Southern Railroad.
*Awarded a one-time grant of $10,743.50 to the Tazewell Community Foundation to refund taxes aid on the new medical center in Tazewell.
*Approved Styrofoam use exemptions for the school system and Joe’s Pizza.
*Approved up to $29,000 for purchase of a van for use by the Commonwealth Attorney’s office work release program.
Voted to reschedule the Nov. 3 meeting to Nov. 5.
