PittCo Happenings

Pittsylvania County Treasurer Vincent Shorter shares some insights about what his office does and his office's role in the taxation process - the collections arm. Additionally, he explains why Pittsylvania County is a non-pro-rating jurisdiction and shares about the factors that, when combined together, caused citizens' car tax bills to increase between 2020 and 2021. 

Hear from Noah Robbins, a Volunteer with Chatham Rescue Squad, about how the agency managed to rebound from answering only 25% of its call in FY 2020 to 82% in FY 21. Noah, who served as the captain during these years until a few months ago, when he took a position with Pittsylvania County Public Safety, oversaw the agency's shift from being run exclusively by volunteers to having paid staff....

Meet a few of the interns working with Pittsylvania County government this summer. Hear about the work experiences of Cora Wilson (Community Development), Eben Leigh (Public Relations), and Pranav Shah (Finance) - three of the more than 15 interns that are working across Pittsylvania County and Pittsylvania County Schools this summer. This internship program was made possible through a financial i...

Pittsylvania County Clerk of Court Mark Scarce discusses what his department handles, highlights some of the less heralded responsibilities of the clerk's office, and talks about the impacts COVID-19 had on the courthouse. 

Hear from Stephen Barts, Unit Coordinator and Extension Agent, about all things agriculture in Pittsylvania County! He explains what the extension agency is and some of the services that it provides, talks about Pittsylvania County's rich agriculture history and heritage, and discusses some current trends in agriculture, including declining production, smaller profit margins, and the uncertai...

Hear from Pittsylvania County Public Works Director Chris Adcock about Pittsylvania County's water and sewer services, which were previously part of the Pittsylvania County Service Authority. He talks about work to update the master plan for water and wastewater services, including a new extension policy that will guide future developments and extensions into new areas with two guiding princi...

Pittsylvania County Social Services Director Christopher Spain talks about some of the many services and programs that the Social Services department offers, how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted how they offer some services, and encourages citizens in need to take advantage of these programs. Subsidised childcare eligibility has been expanded, and Christopher Spain encourages Pittsylvania County res...

Ben Meeks, Chief of Gretna Fire and Rescue, talks about how the merging of the Gretna Volunteer Fire Department and Volunteer Rescue Squad has drastically improved the performance of the two agencies. The agency now pays staff to run EMS calls and also has had significantly more success recruiting volunteers, leading the agency to have the highest call volume of any agency in the county. Take a li...

Pittsylvania County Commonwealth's Attorney Bryan Haskins talks about what his office does, the time involved in prosecuting different types of cases, and how some upcoming legislative changes will impact their office's operations. 

Hear an engaging interview with Pittsylvania County Sheriff Mike Taylor! We talk about what it was like leading his department through the past year, which included a pandemic and national reckonings about the operations and role of law enforcement. 

 Dr. Julie Brown, the Director of Advanced Learning at the Institute for Advanced Learning & Research who is spearheading a community internship program, talks about the benefits for the 25 youth who are selected and the organizations involved. The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors has invested $75,000 for a youth summer internship program, which is being created through collaboration w...

Hear from Pittsylvania County Community Development Director Emily Ragsdale about what the Community Development department oversees. She talks specifically about zoning and building permits, two departments that protect property owners in different ways: zoning guides what types of development can occur in what location, ensuring that a commercial facility can't pop up in the middle of a nei...

Deputy Director of Public Works Nick Morris talks about all things Pittsylvania County solid waste. Learn more about the different parts of the solid waste system - which include the convenience centers, drivers and trash trucks, and our landfill. Nick shares some of the history around solid waste services, talks about the costs associated with keeping our services running, and highlights some of...

Bryan Fox, the Chairman of the Pittsylvania County Fire and Rescue Commission, talks about all things fire and rescue in Pittsylvania County. Listen to hear Fox's story of how he got involved - and re-involved - in volunteer fire and rescue in Danville and Pittsylvania County, his thoughts on some of the challenges facing our volunteer system, and his views on some of the progress - like more...

Hear from Pittsylvania County Public Safety Director Chris Slemp about the importance of our volunteer fire and ems systems and how Pittsylvania County is improving its overarching public safety system and collaboration with the many volunteer fire and rescue agencies throughout our community. 

Pittsylvania County recently announced a partnership with RiverStreet Networks, an internet provider that has multiple services available in parts of Pittsylvania County. The Board of Supervisors decided to invest $1 million of its CARES Act funds to help RiverStreet expand its fixed wireless network. Hear more about this partnership and how it will benefit Pittsylvania County residents.  

Pittsylvania County Administrator David Smitherman goes over some of the highlights of the proposed fiscal year 2022 budget for Pittsylvania County. This budget includes a $71 million general fund, 71% of which goes to public safety and justice (29%), education (28%), and debt (14%). Several community meetings will be taking place over the next few weeks at 6 p.m.:  March 22 – Gretna High School M...

"What economic development is when you boil it down to the simplest terms is that we are problem solvers for businesses."  Hear from Pittsylvania County Economic Development Director Matt Rowe about what economic development is, what it's been like working with the business community during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how Pittsylvania County is positioned for the future.  

Hear from Pittsylvania County Parks and Recreation Director Justin Price about the decision to proceed with the 2021 youth league baseball season. Many safety guidelines will be in place to protect players, coaches, and everyone else involved as much as possible. 

William Cole, Managing Partner with Brightminds LLC, talks about the 2022 reassessment for Pittsylvania County. Pittsylvania County sent out a letter to property owners that mistakenly said the team from Brightminds would request to enter homes, but the reality is that the team will only come in if a citizen invites them in to allow them to survey something. Will also talks about how their process...

Hear from two Pittsylvania County dispatchers about what it was like working on Saturday, February 13, which was a record-breaking day at the 911 center. Due to downed trees and power lines across the county, the center answered over 500 911 calls, the most ever. This broke the record established during Tropical Storm Michael. 

Get another COVID-19 vaccine update, continue to celebrate Black History Month with Pittsylvania County, and hear from Pet Center Director Brent Weinkauf about some of the programs that the Pet Center put on in 2020 and what the county-run animal shelter is planning moving forward. 

Hear an update about COVID-19 vaccines, see how Pittsylvania County is commemorating Black History Month, and hear from Danville Community College President Jacqueline Powell about how Pittsylvania County partnered with DCC to provide free laptops to 300 Pittsylvania County residents that attend the college. 

Learn how you can pre-register to let the Health Department know that you are interested in a COVID-19 vaccine. Pittsylvania County employee Nick Morris also joins us for a conversation about the 2022 reassessment, which is currently underway. If you want to learn more about reassessment, you can visit https://pittsylvaniacountyva.gov/594/Reassessment.

Hear from Susan McCulloch, Project Manager for Pittsylvania County Economic Development, about the small business assistance grants that are available. As many as 20 Pittsylvania County businesses are eligible to receive up to $15,000. You can also learn more at https://www.pittsylvaniacountyva.gov/599/Small-Business-Assistance-Grants