General Election Candidate Forum – Pocahontas County Commission

Allegheny Mountain Radio hosted a General Election Candidate Forum on October 25 for Pocahontas County Commission and Pocahontas County Sheriff candidates. The forum also included Allen Johnson, who spoke against the proposed Excess School Levy.

The Pocahontas County Commission candidates were asked six questions by AMR Pocahontas County reporter Tim Walker and The Pocahontas Times reporter Suzanne Stewart.

Candidates Jesse Groseclose, John Leyzorek and Jamie Walker were given the opportunity to answer the six questions, as well as give opening and closing statements.

Due to technical difficulties, the forum was not video taped. Instead, each answer is accompanied by a photo of the candidates.

Opening Statements

Question #1: It appears that Snowshoe Mountain Resort will be once again asking the commission to approve a Resort Area Development or RAD – for Snowshoe. How do you feel about granting a RAD for Snowshoe?

Question #2: The United States is ranked 12th in the world in broadband access West Virginia is ranked 43rd in the US and Pocahontas County is ranked last in the state in broadband access. How important do you feel that broadband is to the county and what do you propose to do to increase the availability of broadband to the home, at a minimum of the FCC standard?

Question #3: The current commission voted a couple of years ago to support the Atlantic Coast Pipeline’s northern route through Pocahontas County. As you know, that route has shifted southward and now impacts a larger number of private properties, sensitive karst terrain and possibly even some popular and environmentally sensitive caves. Where do you now stand on the pipeline?

Question #4: Professor Jesse Richardson from the WVU College of Law’s Land Use and Sustainable Development Law Clinic has urged the Pocahontas County Commission to adopt a County Comprehensive Plan and the current commission seems willing to move forward with this. What would you like to see included in such a plan and what would you definitely not want included in the plan?

Question #5: Where do you stand on the Brunch Bill, as Senate Bill 298 is commonly called?

Question #6: The National Science Foundation recently announced than an Environmental Impact Study will be conducted concerning the Green Bank Observatory – the result of which could mean a loss of or severely reduced federal funding for the site, or even closure. Given the economic tourism impact of the Observatory on the county’s revenues, what actions do you believe the commission should take to support continued operation of the Green Bank Observatory?

Closing Statements