RICHMOND, Va., June 17, 2024 – Long-term relationships are something of a rarity these days with fewer matches making it to silver or golden anniversaries. Last week, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development celebrated two Southwest Virginia partnerships that have stood the test of time.
Virginia State Director Perry Hickman joined officials from the city of Norton and the Wise County Public Service Authority (WCPSA) to showcase more than 50 years of collaboration to enhance public safety and quality of life in these neighboring communities. The festivities kicked off in Norton with a focus on funding for fire and police vehicles and a nod to investments in water and sewer improvement projects.
“The great partnership between USDA and the city of Norton has lasted over 33 years,” said Hickman. “Since 1991, we’ve invested more than $4.8 million in community facilities loans and grants and over $12.3 million in water and environmental projects. Funds obligated through those programs during the Biden Administration totaled around $2.7 million.”
Mayor Joe Fawbush has a unique perspective on the partnership to better equip the city’s first responders. He joined the fire department in the late 1980s and had a front row seat for planning and implementation of the first of many projects to update the fleet and enable Norton’s emergency response team to roll within less than a minute of a call.
“In the early 90’s, Chief Danny Still began working on replacing our two pumpers and aerial platform in a single purchase,” recalled Fawbush. “The city closed on a $750,000 Community Facilities loan to buy three new fire trucks in 1995 with a final payment in January of 1996.”
Other purchases followed over the years, including a new aerial ladder truck and quick response vehicle that are currently on order. A combination of loans and grants were also used to update the police fleet and a $200,000 grant helped fund relocation of the city’s E-911 Dispatch Center.
“I’m not sure that we can quantify the real value that USDA Rural Development has provided in funding projects for community facilities and beyond,” said City Manager Jeff Shupe. “The impact on our citizens, this community and surrounding communities will, in most cases, last beyond any of our careers.”
“Without this funding source, projects like these would be very difficult for a locality like ours to complete,” said Assistant City Manager Stephen McElroy. “We want to encourage other rural communities, not only in our area but across the state, to reach out to Rural Development to see how they can assist in meeting needs.”
The celebration continued at the WCPSA headquarters where board members, legislators and community partners gathered to highlight the work done to upgrade facilities and enhance services over the past 50-plus years.
“If you look at the numbers, you’ll see we’ve made a big investment in the Wise County PSA with a significant amount of grant funding,” said Hickman. “We’ve provided more than $20 million in loans and grants since 1971 with $5.4 million allocated during the Biden Administration.
“We actually have more than 70 loan and grant programs, so there are many more opportunities available, and we’re so invested in Southwest Virginia that we’ve brought on additional staff to deliver programs locally.”
Hickman likened project development to a dance in which each party leads at a certain point and promised to continue the “dance” to provide critical services – a message that resonated well with attendees.
“This is the largest congressional district in Virginia and it’s mostly rural,” said Josh Hess, district director for Congressman H. Morgan Griffith. “Without the help of USDA, a lot of resources like sanitation, fire and police vehicles wouldn’t be available to provide services to these communities.”
“It’s so important to have that partnership with USDA,” added Delegate Terry Kilgore. “There’s so much that you do to help our region and there’s so much more we can do together by pooling our resources. Those grant dollars are really helpful.”
Executive Director Cody McElroy wrapped up the program with a walk down memory lane, starting with the first owned utility system in 1971 and ending with more recent projects that include six vehicles purchased with a mixture of loan and grant funds.
“We’re actually going to be replacing some of those lines installed in 1971, so our partnership has come full circle over those 50 years,” said McElroy. “The system has served its purpose well and we need to make sure it is there for the next couple of generations.
“Wise County PSA would not be where we are today without Rural Development. We have an aging population, which is mostly under the poverty line. If you look back over our entire history, the investments that USDA Rural Development has made in our systems have allowed us to keep rates affordable for our customers.”
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
