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Sonya Branch-Wilson raised an interesting point during last Monday’s public hearing. The current president of the AMMD Pine Grove Project, she was speaking against the proposed Green Ridge landfill in Cumberland. 

Branch-Wilson spoke about what the county would be giving up, if this project actually got approved. It would be harder to attract visitors to the museum, she argued, because of the landfill smell nearby. She also argued this isn’t exactly a good way to attract young families to Cumberland or encourage the younger residents here to stay. Is the money you get from the deal worth it, when it’s being used to patch holes in an existing budget, rather than build something new? Is what you’re giving up worth what you receive? 

Making a decision 

That’s a question several communities in our area have to answer in the weeks to come. Each of them has either given up something or is considering it. Is it a fair trade? Was the swap worth it in the end? Farmville town council member Donald Hunter pointed out one of these situations during a budget work session on Wednesday, April 9. The town, for the first time in several years, had to raise the real estate tax rate to deal with a budget shortfall. But part of that shortfall stems from the fact Farmville gave up part of its yearly revenue last year. The council, in March 2024, agreed to end their contract with ICA Farmville, the privately run facility used as an ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detention center. That contract with ICE paid, at worst, around $150,000. 

Prince Edward County took over the contract when Farmville stepped back. County staff negotiated a deal where Prince Edward gets $2.50 per day for the first 459 detainees. If the number on a given day is above 459, the county gets $4 per detainee. As it stands, the current contract estimates an average of 264. 

“We allowed some of our revenue to go across the street,” Hunter pointed out. “That’s part of our revenue that’s gone. We’re not wasting money. We got rid of something that everyone wanted us to do.”
At the time, multiple Longwood students staged protests and spoke out against the town’s contract, urging council members to cancel it. And council members did. But the contract was immediately picked up by another entity, so it’s not like anything changed. The facility is still operating today, same as it was back then. The only difference is that the money goes to Prince Edward County now and the Town of Farmville had to raise the tax rate to cover that loss. So in the end, was that decision worth it? Did the end result make up for what was given up? 

A question of what if?

Going back to the Green Ridge case for a second, this idea of lost revenue affects several of the landfill supporters. What happens if someone nearby steps in when Cumberland rejects Green Ridge, they say. What happens when Buckingham or Prince Edward says they’re ok with the trash, because the money is worth it. Then, in the mind of Green Ridge supporters, Cumberland loses the money, only to watch their neighbors benefit. Again, it comes down to the question of is the tradeoff worth it? 

What about in Prince Edward, Buckingham, even nearby Charlotte County, when it comes to solar? Is it worth the land you’re giving up for what you get in return? Are the promises set in stone? Will the solar power go to help the community or be shipped off elsewhere? Are there protections in place for when construction starts, so that your property won’t be affected? What about the community roads being used to haul materials to and from the site? Is the company going to foot the bill to make sure there’s no extra flood damage? 

I’ve seen the dark side of this question. I grew up on my grandparents’ 315-acre cattle and horse farm and worked it until my dad sold the place, because he was promised bright, shiny things by the purchaser. In the end, he got his money, but the new owners tore out bridges, damaged the river, and screwed up power lines both above and below ground, ruining years of work my grandfather and I had done in the process. My father had a tendency of letting the promise of dollar signs crowd out everything else, so he had never made sure the promises were iron clad in writing. The idea of weighing what was given versus what was received never factored into it. And those left behind ended up dealing with the consequences. 

So here we are now, knee deep in budget season. Some votes will have to be taken in each of our communities and decisions made. Is it worth cutting the school budget to save a penny on the tax rate? Will it still be worth it when that company calls and rejects the offer to move in, citing concerns over the schools and their condition? Do we really need to build that complex, if it means five or 10 lifelong citizens have to sell their home, because they can’t afford to pay the higher taxes? 

Is what you receive worth what you gave up? And if the answer is no, then what are you doing voting yes?