Glade Man Files Paper To Remove Supervisor
ABINGDON, Va. – A Glade Spring, Va., man filed a petition in Washington County Circuit Court Friday seeking to remove from office the member of the county Board of Supervisors who represents his district.
Bill Roop, whose construction of billboards in the county sparked a major controversy last year, says Supervisor Tom Taylor misused his office when he criticized the signs during a board meeting.
“As an elected official … he can’t disparage me, he can’t disparage businesses and people [in his district],” said Roop.
Taylor said Friday evening that he hadn’t seen the petition and he’d have to direct the issue to the county attorney before commenting.
“I guess it’ll go through the process,” he said.
Taylor’s billboard comments, made during a Jan. 8, 2008, board meeting, referenced the signs Roop installed along highways in the county and suggested a moratorium be placed on construction of billboards.
Discussion of proposed billboard ordinances was placed on a future meeting agenda, according to minutes from the meeting.
“Thank you, Mr. Roop, for all the ugly signs,” Taylor said at the meeting, according to a tape recording. “I don’t plan on doing business with anyone who has one of the signs on their property, and I may not do business with anybody that purchases advertising spots on the signs.”
Roop said it was inappropriate for Taylor to make the remarks in his official capacity as a board member. If he made them, it should have been as a private citizen, he said.
The document he filed, submitted with a petition he says was signed by 10 percent of the Monroe District’s registered voters, said Taylor made statements “facetious and derogatory in regards to Mr. Roop, his business and his personal property” and “condemning statements directed at business and property owners of Washington County for participating in the advancement of his legitimate business.”
Taylor said he hasn’t kept up with who has advertised on the signs to boycott them – but “in the heat of a moment people say things.”
Roop said as far as he knows such a removal from office has never been accomplished in Virginia, but his hope is that if Taylor is not removed from office by the court, it will be done by voters in the next election.
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Reader Reactions
Graced, I can’t believe that you would make a statement like that. You must be a Dulcie Mumpower Kool Aid drinker. They should be a law against people like you and your voting rights should be taken away. Vote for the person that you think will do the best job or can you not think on your own? I could care less about other people and who they support. Do some research and vote for the person that will be the best for our county. If you like less jobs, more taxes, and support supervisor(s) that waste our taxpayer’s money then go ahead and vote for them. People like you just make me sick. Mr. Mannix comments were about Mrs. Mumpowers husband trashing Mr. Smith’s family. I will have to agree with him. Why do you think a person would do that? Because they want you to not look at them. You may find out their true record. Anyway, this article is about removing a supervisor not electing one. Thank you Mr. Roop for standing up for your rights. We need more people like you.
I would never vote for anyone supported by Patrick Mannix.
I’m with you scott! People should be able to do (what they want) with their own property,but we seen already that can’t be true,since that lady in Meadowview couldn’t sell her property to Love’s Travel Center.
I know I am coming to the conversation late, but after reading several of the posts feel that I must weigh in. I am also a yankee transplant, although a true yankee comes from New england,not the upper midwest. One of the things I loved about VA is that personal proerty rights are still respected for the most part. As long as you do not dump pollution into the environment yu can do with your property more than you can in the north. For example, in Abingdon, you can still own livestock and keep them on your property. When Bill Roop came to Washington County, I wrote an Letter to the Editor making that point. Whether you like his signs or not, he and his clients have the right to place them on their property. As far as this quaint county goes, when was the last time you drove up Lee Highway by exit 10? What a trash heap. And yet those people are prefectly within their rights to have their land look like a shambles. If you do not like it, you could always try to purchase it and rehabilitate it to your liking. But as far as using the power of the government sword to change asomething you do not like, you are abusing government. Bill Roop even offered Abingdon free advertising if they would allow him to place his signs in the town limits. They declined and lost a valuable opportunity to advertise the merits of Abingdon. Why don’t you who oppose him first worry about your own back yards, remove the junk cars up on blocks, or mow your yards. Nevertheless, I won’t try to use the power of government to make you because I respect your right to live like a pig if you so desire.
Sweet sally….Is tom-tom your sweet potato too?? He sure doesnt have much going for him.
JIMBO…...What kind of name are you hiding behind? seems like you know alot about these things!!! Who the heck are you? why are you hidding?
It is time for changes on the Board of Supervisors. The current board feels that no one has a right to run against them. Dulcie Mumpower you have been in office for 16 years and it is time for you to go. Last time you ran you told everybody you would NOT run again. The thought of you losing power scares you. You have done nothing for this county in a long time. You have no idea what the average citizen is going thru these days. You voted to accept a new county assessment rate which resulted in another tax increase on real estate. You voted to give the county administrator a 20,000 dollar pay raise. You have voted against new high paying jobs. You used tax payer’s money to take a vacation. I could go on and on. You serve no use for the county anymore. You will do anything to get elected. You opponent Vernon Smith is a great citizen. He served in the military for over 20 years and was station in a war zone for over a year. He has been married for 28 years and raised four outstanding men. Instead of telling citizens what you have accomplished or will do in the future you and your sweet potato pie decided to trash Mr. Smith’s family. Yes you did as you came to my house and ask me to vote for you and then you immediately started trashing Mr. Smith. Let me tell you something you are in no position to trash anybody especially a war hero. This type of action by board members is not unusual. Tom Taylor is another one trashing a tax paying business man. Why would a man who is suppose to represent all citizen trash Mr. Roop? To make the statements he did is unacceptable. I hope a Judge throws him out of office. Where and how do we get these people in office? People wake up and do something about these Supervisors. They are destroying our county and will do anything to keep their power. Let’s sent a message and vote the entire Supervisors out of office. If the new Supervisors don’t do what we expect we can fire them too. Do we want these types of people representing us?
Posted by ( Pat Mannix ) on September 26, 2009 at 11:11 am.
Dulcie Mumpower’s “sweet potato man” is lying to voters about Vernon Smith being a wife beater!
Earlier I posted the following;
Some of the current board members are up for re-election and this is one time we citizens have to express our approval or dis-approval of current elected officials. Lets lay aside politics and ask ourselves a few questions about the one who seeks re-election. You may be happy with your reps. job performance. If so, read no further, if not, then continue on. Ask yourself these few questions;
So for those in Ms. Mumpowers district, ask these questions about her work for you!! This,, as of now is not about Vernon Smith, It’s all about Dolcie and her performance.
1. WHAT HAS MY BOARD MEMBER DONE FOR THE DISTRICT HE/SHE REPRESENTS?. Be honest with yourself, really what improvement has occurred due to his/her efforts & leadership?
2. Has this person aided business efforts to re-locate here, or has this person been a hinderance, opting to the same mentality of the past, keeping growth jobs away. Some of these members remind me of a movie producer who said “ The movies I make, I would not let my children see, but it’s alright for your child”. Our elected local officials see to it that some local business employs their child/children,, but ours?? Let them find a job the best way they can. Example. BVU employed two sons of two Bristol city councilmen,( ain’t that nice) but the manager of BVU shot down Yahoo’s effort to relocate their data center here even though a broadband company falls under “HIS” umbrella. Does this make sense? Had Yahoo received support and allowed to relocate here, can you imagine the quality jobs that would have been here. Also how many other quality industries could have been influenced to come here by Yahoos move? However, These same people will spend thousands that we don’t have to “wooe” a restaurant that pays nothing.
3. When was the last time you heard from your representative? Is he/she easily accessible either by phone, e-mail address,ect. or is the only time you can say hello to your representative is at a board meeting within the two minutes allotted? If you had to get in touch with one right now, how would you go about it?
Do I want more of the same??? or is it time to stop paying a employee who’s performance runs counter to your way of thinking. Does this person “REALLY” represent me or his/her self?
The choice is ours alone this time.
Response. Graced: Do I do donate to charity you only need ask those that have benefited form the signs. Children Advocacy Center, Shriners, John Battle H.S Marching Band and Football. For Cancer, Komen race for the cure. Just this year alone.
JimBo You seem to enjoy talking about me hiding behind a name, but that is how this site is set up. I remember asking you once before to come meet me and be civil. You choosed then to ignore that request. So this time I challenge to reveal yourself and quit hiding and meet me so we can discuss issues respectfully and not with your vile contempt. If your so afraid to meet with me I could have arraigne a meeting with a member of the sheriff’s department to be there.
And as to running for supervisor I am not afraid to do so, I however would choose to support someone that has been raised in this area such as Tony Rector if were to run in two years. Yes I am not from here, as many others are not either but seem to be in the VOP group.
And to Average Joe and name calling you just expose yourself for what you are. BTW, how could I set up a mafia of local people in just two years. But if it pleases you I will admit this to you. Yes I am part Italian and my family on my mother side is from Sicily. But that doesn’t qualify me as a Godfather. I would however say that your VOP group would qualify in the same tactics that Chicago politics uses. And finally when does a business and resident of the county becomes the subject of abuse by an elected official? I treated Mr. Taylor with respect when he came to my door to ask me to vote for him. His attack on me was not warranted. Yet I attended the same church as he for a short time and out of respect I changed churches before bringing this petition as means to help the residents of this county. And I will continue contribute to this great county when possible.But I do so with respect.
Dumb question I guess, but what is VOP? This seems to be retaliation by an arrogant man who is pouting because he didn’t get his way when he moved into our quaint county and tried to turn it into crap with his brillant money making venture. I’ve seen the billboards supporting all new candidates for the BOS. They scream Vote against me and I’ll get you at election time. Bet this hoopla will really increase business. Duh. A true man of character.
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