Though I have not been as vocal as I have in recent years, I have been very attentive. In 2016 alone, the Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors has had four regular meetings and four special meetings.

Naturally, the special meetings are at inconvenient times for the public to attend, and even if one were to attend, they would not be fully informed as many have ended in closed sessions.

At least two discussions have taken place. One regards the ongoing issues of the Manor, which has cost the taxpayers an undisclosed amount in public funds, legal fees and time, as well as taxpayers’ dollars, with no resolution nor answers to the citizens of Prince Edward. This has been going on for over 10 years.

The second is this secret access road, which I can only assume relates to the possible relocation of the VDOT district office, which, according to VDOT, will cost the taxpayers well over $2 million.

Most of this will come from grants for infrastructure, even though it could have gone to better the crumbling infrastructure we have already.

So many of our board members claim to be for open and honest government, yet, from what I see, it’s still the same old business as usual.

I have asked several Democratic board members about having two board meetings a month so the citizens are more included and informed. Most responded that two meetings were too much, yet the number of special and secret meetings was much higher.

Our elected officials were chosen by our democratic republic way of governing, meaning each of them was elected by the citizens of their districts to represent them, yet few actually have meetings with these citizens and inform them of what’s going on, or find out what they would like to see.

In closing, I want you to think about this: At the Feb. 4 meeting, I asked for the following information, which I have yet to receive and does not violate the closed session rules:

• Projected cost to citizens of Prince Edward: i.e. grants requested on behalf of citizens, loans or cosigning obligations of Prince Edward.

• Projected potential five-year revenue the county may generate from proposed business.

• Projected job or career generation from county citizens.

I have not gotten an answer.

Kenneth Jackson lives in Rice and is co-founder of the Prince Edward County Democratic Republic Committee. His email address is kwj34@embarqmail.com.