The Shadow
IRON GATE, Va. (VR) – On Thursday March 27, The Iron Gate Town Council met in regular session. The meeting opened with the invocation and pledge and then the meeting was called to order. Approval of the minutes from the previous meeting was next with all the usual business of the council following.
Randy Unroe was there for the public comments and had a lot to say to the council. First Unroe had comments on the town’s financial reports. It seems that Unroe had requested to review the reports, although the date of the request is unknown at this time. It was also not clear which months were in the report provided by Town Clerk Ashley Prior.
There was some back and forth debating over whether Unroe would be able to view the report at Town Hall. Mayor Persinger Kanawha assured Unroe that the financial reports were always available on Monday before the monthly meeting. Town Council meetings are the fourth Thursday of every month at Iron Gate Town Hall.
Unroe stated, “You can’t hide this [the financial reports], “and seemed to imply Persinger and the council didn’t want anyone to see it. The mayor assured Unroe that the council wasn’t trying to hide anything and that the report would definitely be made easily
accessible.
The next concern brought up by Unroe was that of the hours worked by the town clerk. It had
previously been announced that Mayor Persinger and the town clerk were each dealing with
health issues and only in the office three days a week. Their hours remained the same on these days. This had been voted on and approved by the council.
Persinger and Prior both reassured everyone they would still be in the office the first of every month to get everyone their water bills and on the 21st which is the last day to pay their water bill without paying a penalty.
Unroe was worried that the mayor was on salary and would keep getting the same pay despite working less hours. She assured him she worked on hourly wages and got paid based on the hours she actually worked.
Next, Unroe moved on to what he referred to as the lawsuit. It’s thought he was talking about
the Jennifer Simpson case although her name was never brought up. Simpson’s case was
discussed at the work session on March 17. Persinger noted $38,000 which was due to the
client and her attorney fees.
Simpson’s case was against the town for a busted water pipe.
Unroe expressed concern that Iron Gate may get absorbed into Alleghany County if the Simpson case remains unresolved and the town’s money problems continue.
Persinger explained that the ARPA money is what they are planning on using to pay. If there’s anything left, they will have to divide it among the residents because that’s what the judge says they owe, Persinger said.
The next meeting of the Iron Gate Town Council will be April 24.
