EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is Supervisor Tara Dye’s unofficial summary of the November 2026 Russell County Board of Supervisor’s meeting. It is not a formal transcription prepared from the videotape of the meeting. We are sharing Tara’s summary for information only, not as a rallying point for complaints about the Supervisors’ actions, or those of any other person. If you have a problem with what someone is doing, tell THEM, not the Clinch Valley Times.

Russell County Board of Supervisors Meeting Update
November 2, 2026

I wanted to share an update from our November 2nd Board of Supervisors meeting and explain a few of the decisions made.

We began with a public hearing concerning the disposal of unclaimed property in the possession of law enforcement. There were no public comments, and the ordinance passed 5-1, with Nate Kiser voting against it. Steve Breeding was temporarily absent during the vote.

The October 5th meeting minutes were approved 6-0, with Lou Ann Wallace abstaining because she was absent from that meeting. County expenditures were also approved 6-1, with Nate Kiser voting against them.

Chairman David Eaton recommended former Board member Tim Lovelace for an appointment to the Russell County Coal Road Committee. Lou Ann Wallace mentioned another interested individual, so the appointment was postponed for further consideration.

Sheriff Bill Watson reported that the department’s trucks are now housed in a building and shared some encouraging news about the autism sensory trailer. Thanks to generous donations from our community, they’re now within approximately $200 of being able to purchase it! I appreciate Sheriff Watson, his department, and everyone who has helped make this possible.

The Board unanimously approved a DEQ financial assurance bond through VACo for the county landfill. This was a financial assurance matter, not approval of a landfill expansion.

We also unanimously approved survey and platting work for additional property behind the former Copper Creek School and scheduled a public hearing in December to consider its potential sale. This does not involve selling the school facility or the main school property.

One item I want to explain involves a proposed ordinance allowing the Board to waive or reduce building permit fees for certain companies or nonprofits associated with housing. The Board voted 4-3 to schedule a public hearing, with Rebecca Dye, Steve Breeding, David Eaton, and Lou Ann Wallace voting in favor. Andrew Hensley, Nate Kiser, and I voted against it. This vote only scheduled a public hearing. The ordinance has not been adopted.

I voted no because I believe in fairness. While I support encouraging housing development, I don’t believe the Board should be picking and choosing which businesses or organizations pay building permit fees and which ones don’t. If we’re going to offer relief, I believe we should consider an approach that treats everyone fairly.

We also discussed a proposed resolution asking members of the Virginia General Assembly to remove Russell County’s special exception under state law concerning the Industrial Development Authority (IDA).

Under Virginia Code § 15.2-4904, the standard IDA consists of seven members. Russell County currently has a special provision allowing nine members, including two required seats for representatives of a qualifying town’s governing body. Our resolution simply asks the General Assembly to remove that exception and return Russell County to the standard seven-member structure.

Currently, four of Russell County’s nine IDA members are from Lebanon. One is the mayor, one serves on the Lebanon Town Council, one was appointed by Steve Breeding, and another holds an at-large appointment made by Nate Kiser. My concern is that nearly half of the authority comes from one town, even though its decisions affect the entire county. With the proposed Russell County Industrial Complex located in District 3, which I represent, I believe balanced representation is especially important.

I want to be clear that this is not a criticism of Lebanon or anyone currently serving on the IDA. I am not suggesting anyone has acted improperly or in bad faith. I appreciate their service. My concern is with the structure of the authority, not the individuals serving on it.

There were also questions about changes involving the IDA in 2024, so I want to clarify what happened.

In December 2023, the previous Board voted against reappointing Lebanon Mayor Tony Dodi and instead appointed Tommy Shrader.

At our January 2, 2024 meeting, acting on the advice of our county attorney, the Board voted 5-2 to rescind Tommy Shrader’s appointment and then voted 5-2 to appoint Tony Dodi. I supported both motions. Lou Ann Wallace and Rebecca Dye voted against both. These actions are documented in the official meeting minutes, which specifically state that the rescission was made upon the attorney’s advice.

Later in 2024, the Virginia General Assembly amended the law governing the IDA to specifically require two members to serve on the governing body of a qualifying town, rather than simply come from that town.

The important distinction is that our Board did not change that law. The General Assembly did. Our January actions involved appointments, and we acted on the legal advice we received.

Our current proposal is a separate matter. We are asking the General Assembly to consider removing Russell County’s special nine-member provision and returning to the standard seven-member structure.

At our October 5th meeting, the Board unanimously directed the county administrator to prepare a resolution requesting this change. At the November meeting, I initially moved to approve that resolution, but withdrew my motion after questions arose that warranted further legal review.

Because our county attorney also serves as counsel for the IDA, he has a conflict of interest concerning this matter. The Board unanimously agreed to table the resolution until December so the county administrator could consult with another attorney and address the questions raised.

I still believe balanced representation is important, but I also believe in getting the legal details right before moving forward.

County Administrator Lonzo Lester provided updates on road reporting, VDOT projects, county and PSA projects, the new animal shelter, and environmental review work concerning improvements to the Pinnacle Natural Area Preserve suspension bridge access.

The Board unanimously approved closing the Honaker and Castlewood canneries for the season on December 17th. Nate Kiser made the motion, and I seconded it. We also unanimously approved the annual turkey vouchers for county employees and local food pantries.

We also discussed towing expenses after vehicles from the Cleveland, Honaker, and Lebanon fire departments became stuck while responding to an emergency call. The towing company originally submitted the entire bill to the county. After the issue arose, Cleveland Volunteer Fire Department contacted the towing company directly, paid its portion, and received a receipt for that payment. Meanwhile, the county still had the original bill for the full amount.

I initially made a motion to have the towing company bill the remaining two departments directly for their portions. That motion failed 3-4, with Andrew Hensley, Nate Kiser, and me voting in favor. My concern was fairness. Cleveland had already taken responsibility for its portion, and I believed the other two departments should be treated the same way.

Steve Breeding then made a motion for the county to cover the towing expenses and reimburse Cleveland for what it had already paid. Since this addressed my concern about treating all three departments equally, I supported it. The motion passed 5-2, with Andrew Hensley and Nate Kiser voting against it.

Chairman David Eaton made clear this would be a one-time arrangement. He stated that dispatch procedures would be updated and all three departments would receive a letter explaining that similar towing expenses would be their responsibility going forward.

I know these updates can be lengthy, but I believe you deserve to know what’s happening in your county government and why decisions are being made.

I’ll continue asking questions, standing up for fairness, and doing my best to represent the people of District 3 and Russell County.

Please remember the Data Center Informational meeting with the IDA is November 18th at 6pm at the Russell County Conference Center. I will make a reminder post as it gets closer.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.

Tara M. Dye
Russell County Board of Supervisors, District 3

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