Void left by board leader departure

ARARAT, Va. — It’s unusual for the chairman of a county governing board to step down in the midst of his or her term, but Brandon Simmons had simply had enough.

“It’s a thankless job,” Simmons, an Ararat resident, said of serving on the Patrick County Board of Supervisors.

He cited increasing time demands to the detriment of his family and constant “griping and complaining” from some constituents as catalysts for that departure.

When resigning from that post about two weeks ago, Simmons was in his first term as the Dan River District supervisor on the board, representing the Ararat and Claudville communities, a term not set to expire until December 2025.

The remaining four supervisors accepted the chairman’s resignation after a closed session on April 30. Applications since have been sought from other residents of that district to replace Simmons on an interim basis until a November special election.

Simmons reportedly had not attended any of the board’s meetings since March, when he presided over a public hearing regarding a controversial solar farm project in Patrick County.

The former supervisor was quick to note in recent days that being deprived of quality time with his family was the “biggest reason” behind his resignation from that sometimes-demanding position.

Simmons, whose 41st birthday is this month, began his local government career with the Patrick County School Board, being elected to a four-year term in November 2017. At that time he and his wife had two children.

“I have four children (now)” he said. They are young and play baseball and softball, mirroring an increasing amount of attention devoted to coaching by Simmons, who enjoys the interaction with players and parents.

Simmons said he can understand why folks serving on local elected boards tend to be 50 or older without such family responsibilities, who have more time to delegate to their offices.

He mentioned occasions of sitting down at the table for a family meal, having to answer the telephone and talking outside on the porch until 11 p.m.

“Nobody sees that,” Simmons said of such behind-the-scenes activities surrounding the role of a county supervisor.

Unrest factor

If the family related issues were not enough, the flak raised by some citizens over matters addressed by the Patrick Board of Supervisors was the clincher for Simmons’ resignation.

“So many people are griping and complaining,” he said of feedback that has accompanied several recent issues.

One notable one involves the supervisors’ narrow approval in March of Patrick County’s first solar farm. Other sticky situations have concerned a failed reopening of the county’s only hospital in Stuart which has been closed since 2017, and changes at a transfer station for trash.

The problem is not so much that citizens have complained, but often their opinions are uninformed, according to Simmons.

“Half of the time it’s people who truly don’t know what’s going on,” he said.

The opposition to the solar farm is a good example, which Simmons indicated was a reflection of widespread, unfounded concerns about such facilities cluttering up the landscape.

Decisions on whether to allow solar farms should be considered on a case-by-case basis, he believes. “It’s not like they’re going to put them in every yard.”

Some stern words also were exchanged over the possible relaunching of the Stuart hospital by a health-care company that promised to remodel and reopen the facility last year, only to not follow through.

As county board chairman, Simmons was the point man in expressing Patrick’s disfavor, comments not well received by the company.

“I tried to stand up for the county against the hospital representatives that were shooting back at us,” he said recently.

The trash issue relates to changes made at the county transfer station which led to a local collection business, Rural Services, charging more to customers.

“When rates went up, a lot of people blamed the county,” Simmons said.

Satisfied about record

Despite the recent controversies, Simmons believes he’s left a record of accomplishments behind, both with the school board and board of supervisors.

When joining the educational group, Simmons’ efforts were focusing on cutting spending, which led to downsizing employees in the schools’ central office.

Meanwhile, the county was able to begin providing free breakfasts and lunches to all students in Patrick, test scores rose and the school board guided the system through the pandemic.

Simmons thinks good leadership now exists with the school superintendent and county administrator and the present board of supervisors, which he considers forward-thinking.

“I feel like I was part of a lot of good changes,” the Ararat resident said of his county government service overall. “I think I did a good job, not to be tooting my own horn.”

While acknowledging that he hates to be “a quitter,” Simmons pledges to continue helping out as much as he can, without being in a decision-making role.

“I wish the county and the board the best.”

Persons interested in being appointed as Simmons’ interim replacement must submit a completed application to Clerk to the Board of Supervisors Amy Walker by 5 p.m. Friday, May 17.

An attempt Thursday to learn how many people had applied was unsuccessful.