Chatham mayor blasts supervisors

CHATHAM — Chatham’s mayor delivered a stinging rebuke to the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors on Monday night for rejecting a proposal to renovate the old Chatham Elementary School building.

Mayor George Haley singled out two supervisors, Board Chairman Coy Harville and Tunstall Supervisor Tim Barber, for his vitriol, referring to them as a “clique” and saying the board has done nothing for the town of Chatham in the last five years.

“I want to know, unequivocally, what the towns of Chatham, Gretna, and Hurt and north of White Oak Mountain have received from the Board of Supervisors in the last four or five years,” Haley said.

He said the Board of Supervisors shows favoritism toward the southern part of the county while Chatham, Gretna, Hurt and the rest of the northern part of the county are neglected.

“Everything is south of White Oak Mountain,” Haley said. “We’ve got a clique, gentlemen, and I’m tired of it.”

Harville and Barber are not interested in helping the town of Chatham, he said.

“I’m tired of being told (by the board), ‘We’re going to do this, we’re going to do that,’ and they don’t do anything,” Haley said.

Councilmen stood and applauded after Haley’s speech and unanimously passed a resolution in support of renovating the former Chatham Elementary School on South Main Street.

“I can’t imagine anyone being against this resolution,” Haley said before the vote.

He pledged to seek support from almost every organization in the area, including Chatham First, the Rotary Club, the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce and others.

“We need letters of support,” Haley said.

In a 4-3 vote on June 2, the Board of Supervisors rejected a proposal to renovate the old Chatham Elementary School building to house county administrative offices. Supervisors had been considering upgrading the building on South Main Street in Chatham for relocation of the county’s administrative, zoning, building inspection and finance offices.

The move would have left more room in the Moses Building and the adjacent courthouse building for the sheriff’s office, clerk of court and the commonwealth’s attorney, as well as the county jail.

Dan River Supervisor James Snead, Banister Supervisor William Pritchett, Barber and Harville voted against the renovation.

Haley also blasted Pritchett for voting against the idea. Haley commended Staunton River Supervisor Marshall Ecker, Callands-Gretna Supervisor Fred Ingram and Chatham-Blairs Supervisor Hank Davis for supporting the renovation. Haley said he understood Snead’s vote against the plan due to his concern over where the county would get the money for the upgrade.

Haley reminded everyone that Chatham has been the county seat since 1777.

In other matters, councilmen voted 5-1 to approve the town’s $2 million budget and advertise for two public hearings to be held later this month on the budget, which will include increases in water and garbage rates. The budget must be approved by June 30. Councilman Bob Thompson voted no.

The town proposes to increase its in-town commercial and residential water rate from $2.37 per 1,000 gallons of water used per month to $3.30 per 1,000 gallons. Out-of-town rates would go from $4.71 per 1,000 gallons to $5.20 per 1,000 gallons per month.

The garbage rate would increase by $1 per month.

Contact John R. Crane at or (434) 791-7987.