JONESVILLE — The Lee Co. Board of Supervisors voted to support a state severance tax hike of one percent on coal and gas at their first monthly meeting of 2009. The proposed amendment will be voted on at the 2009 Session of the Virginia General Assembly.

The amendment was proposed by the nearby Russell County Board of Supervisors.

“The natural resources of Russell and surrounding counties are a valuable asset of all the people,” said James Gillespie, Russell County Administrator, in a letter urging Lee Co. to support the proposal. “It is the entities extracting these resources that enjoy the profits obtained. These resources are used throughout the United States and worldwide. By providing a modest increase in the severance taxes the way of life of the local residents can be improved by better roads, drinking water, public sewer systems and industrial development.”

If authorized by the state, the proceeds of the tax would be used as follows: Half of the additional 1 percent tax would be used to fund the construction of new water and sewer systems and lines in areas with natural water supplies which are insufficient in quality and quantity, the repair of those systems, or the payment of existing financial obligations for those systems.

The other half of the one percent tax would be used for industrial development.

As part of the new year business, the Supervisors elected Carl Bailey, District 1 representative, to be Chairman. District 3 Supervisor Larry Mosley was elected Vice-Chairman. The meeting time and place remains the third Tuesday of every month at 5 p.m.

VDOT Representative James Parsons presented the Supervisors with four rural roads that his department recommended be taken into the state system. Parsons told the Supervisors that the projects, in total, would probably cost in the ballpark of a million dollars. He noted that the Board only had $56,000 available for rural road additions. The Supervisors decided to wait on taking action, noting that possible federal economic stimulus grants could fund the projects.

A public hearing was held for the Jonesville Boundary adjustment. No one spoke against it, so the Supervisors approved that the town’s boundary would be adjusted to include the Ronnie Montgomery Farm on the east side of Rt. 650 just north of the current town limits and the Cumberland Bowl Park property owned by Jonesville.

The Lee Co. Industrial Development Association reported that work on the shell building was 75 percent complete and would be finished in March, weather permitting. Also, the KCG call centers have hired 43 new employees.

David Graham was appointed to the Mountain Empire Community College Board, and Supervisor Larry Mosley was appointed to the SW VA Regional Jail Authority as an alternate and to the SW VA Workforce Investment CLEO Board.

The Supervisors approved the following: terminal building pay request, the airport fueling system final bill, the airport AWOS Construction grant extension, HVAC Air Handler Control System repairs, E-911 power system backup maintenance agreement, voice recorder/logger maintenance agreement for the E-911 system, the delinquent tax offer in compromise, quarterly dept. reports, and the state severance tax support request.

The Supervisors also voted to approve the Community Development Block Grants that would fund water projects in the County. The Supervisors also voted to move the Registrar and Electoral Board offices back to the Courthouse.

David Middleton was hired as the animal control officer.

Stephen Woodward is a Staff Writer for the Daily News. He may be contacted at swoodward@middlesborodailynews.com.