Editor:

Thank you to The Farmville Herald for last week’s article “Heartland still mostly empty.” Hopefully, this will be the beginning of a conversation with more citizens asking questions of their government leaders on this failed project.

Why the concern? Hasn’t it been said none of the $12-$14 million that has gone into this project came from local tax dollars? Well, there is no “free” money. This grant money could have been spent wisely, possibly creating jobs. Sadly, it has been spent on a park sitting basically empty.

Why have member counties continued to support grant money being wasted for 16 years? How could the Heartland board, made up of administrators from the member counties and another county representative, allow it to operate without required minutes of those meetings? The excuse of lack of paid staff is bogus. No one should accept such behavior of government leaders.

As you drive about your county, do you see roads in desperate need of repair? This makes me furious; the Heartland board authorized writing a grant to obtain VDOT money for $789,197 to build an entrance to the west side of the Heartland Business Park. No one is using the east side entrance.

If you live in one of the member counties, contact your board of supervisors and county administrator and tell them what you think. Contact Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Layne; ask them to take another hard look at the grant.

Citizens, if you are worried about government waste, here it is in your own back yard. Please take action. You can make a difference.

Kay Morgan Pierantoni

Wylliesburg