[New] School board takes Supervisors elect 2023 leadership

LAURA MCFARLAND Managing Editor

POWHATAN – The Powhatan County Board of Supervisors was split last week when it chose Mike Byerly to serve as board chair and Steve McClung as vice chair for the board’s last year in office.

Byerly, who represents District 3, and McClung, District 2, were both elected in 3-2 votes at the board’s organizational meeting on Monday, Jan. 9.

Both men were elected with their own and the support of Karin Carmack, District 5. David Williams, District 1, and Bill Cox, District 4, voted against.

By LauraMcFarland Managing Editor

Byerly, who is entering his second year as chair, said in a separate interview it felt good to receive the support of two of his board members and acknowledged that the board has been handing down “3-2 votes for quite some time.” He pointed to the recent Speaker of the House election taking 15 votes to see a result and how “they can’t seem to agree but they got something accomplished. That is the issue.”

“I think all five of us want to see a good Powhatan moving forward; that is, I think, in our hearts, in our blood and that is what we want,” he said. “We may have different views of how we go forward with it, but I think we all five have that same destination. It’s just how we’re going to get there. And we can work on that – we can do better.”

Trying to improve the board’s unity needs to be a big focus so superintendent

By LauraMcFarland Managing Editor

ruary. The budget was also presented using the calculation tool

POWHATAN–

Theannualpumpkindecoratingcontestonce again saw businessesfromaround theregionparticipatingin a lighthearted(althoughstill competitive) competitionFriday, Oct.28atIndependence GolfClubinPowhatan.

POWHATAN – The Powhatan County School Board unanimously chose Susan Smith as the chairwoman and James Taylor as vice chair for 2023 during their Jan. 10 meeting.

Theannualbenefit forthe Children’s Hospital Foundationisalso a way bringthe businesscommunitytogether for a goodcauseandspread a

Smith, who represents District 2, served as vice chairwoman in 2022. This is Taylor’s first time serving in a leadership role on the board. The school board reorganizes every January for the upcoming year.

Smith said in a separate interview that it was “exciting and a little bit scary” to be chosen as chair and added that her focus would continue to be helping Powhatan County Public Schools (PCPS) reach its littlejoy alongthe way, said organizerRachelMassengill ofPowhatan.The eventraised morethan$3,000forthe foundation but isstillacceptingdonationsusingtheQR code.