Editor:

This letter is in response to Kay Pierantoni’s letter to the editor in the Oct. 26 edition of The Farmville Herald titled “Park is a failed project.”

Ms. Pierantoni was correct calling this a “failed project” and my thanks go to her for bringing this to the attention of your readers.

Prince Edward County contributed to this failed boondoggle along with many other “failed” projects that have wasted millions of taxpayer dollars. Some are:

• The Sandy River Water Project — millions of dollars spent when it was apparent there was not a need for the project.

• The Road to Nowhere — built for a failed hotel project as the name, design and location of the road indicates.

• The YMCA — millions of dollars have been donated to this organization in the form of land and an approximately $1.5 million loan. The YMCA has a history of bad financial management, but each year, citizens are still paying off a loan for the construction of the facility.

Along with the Charlotte County Heartland Industrial Park, these are examples of how our tax dollars are wasted.

Prince Edward County Administrator Wade Bartlett recently said it takes years, if not decades, to recoup investments by taxpayers for such expenditures as Heartland Park.

This is the same Mr. Bartlett who recommends tax increases each year, placing more of a burden on county citizens while squandering money for projects such as the Sandy River Water Project and Road to Nowhere.

Prince Edward County citizens deserve better.

Sam Campbell

Pamplin