Historical Society hit with Hatton tab
by Hawes Spencer
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The Albemarle Supervisors agreed to fund up to $9,300 to keep the VDOT-chopped Hatton Ferry running for the rest of this season, but apparently the the burden will really land on the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society. “The Supervisors are counting on us to pay back the County,” says a July 1 fundraising letter from Society president Steven Meeks. Donations can be sent to the Hatton Ferry Fund, P.O. Box 321, Scottsville, VA, 24590.
Mollie Cox Bryan
Interesting approach - was this agreed to in advance, or did the County just send them the bill?
I find it hard to believe that the ACHS board would have agreed to such an arrangement, especially since their own fundraising has hardly improved in recent years, and their endowment is, like everybody else’s, down by 1/4 to 1/3. The Hatton Ferry produces no revenue.
I believe that Meeks has misspoken.
If, on the other hand, the ACHS has committed to fund the operation of the Hatton Ferry (and to pay back the county for their recent bailout), I think the Society should fire its entire board and start fresh.
They still haven’t hired a new executive director to replace the one they ran off over a year and a half ago. Bunch of amateurs.
Perhaps the county should make a list of nessasasry ammentities and price them like a menu and let the electorate vote on them…
for instance… Hatton ferry would cost each resident approx a quarter per year…
keeping the lakes open instead of closing early to save money would cost about 50 cents per person per year…
firing just one over paid lazy governemt officil would save about 75 cents per year…
the math ain’t hard…
save the ferry anyway possible. its important historically.
If the Citizens of Albermarle want to preserve their history, they should be willing to pay for it. People from other localities should not have to be paying their fuel taxes to fund a historic property that is little more than a small time tourist attraction.
Prudent use of transportation dollars should be dedicated to transportation facilities that help folks move. This is not a critical transportation facility.