Board re-elects chair,
welcomes new members

The Board of Supervisors recently re-elected Jim Politis and Bill Brown to serve another year as chair and vice chair, respectively. Brown was re-elected in November by District E voters to serve his second term.

The Board also decided to keep its meeting dates on the second and fourth Mondays of the month but moved its evening meeting starting time up to 7 p.m.

The Board also welcomed the two new members who were elected in November. Matt Gabriele replaces John Muffo, who did not seek re-election in District G. Chris Tuck is the new member from District B, replacing Doug Marrs. Marrs also did not seek re-election.

In addition, Mary Biggs was re-elected by District F voters. Her first term began in 1996.

The terms of Chair Politis (District D), Gary Creed (District C) and Annette Perkins (District A) expire in 2013.

Constitutional officers re-elected

Sheriff Tommy Whitt, Commonwealth’s Attorney Brad Finch and Treasurer Richard Shelton were all re-elected by the voters to serve another four-year term in office.

Helen Royal was elected to serve as Commissioner of Revenue. A longtime employee of that office, she succeeded the interim commissioner Alice Jones.

FY13 budget process begins

The Board of Supervisors' annual process of gathering citizen comments and adopting the budget and tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year is under way.

The budget calendar includes the following meeting dates:

Meetings are rebroadcast on Comcast Channel 190 at 8 a.m., 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Meetings are also rebroadcast on-demand on Montgomery County's video channel.

For more information, go to the official Montgomery County website.

Election workers needed

The Montgomery County Voter Registrar’s office is in need of Officers of Election.

What is an Officer of Election and what do they do?

An Officer of Election is a registered voter over the age of 18 who wants to serve by assisting with operations on election days.

Duties will include set-up at the assigned precinct, such as handling election materials and the ballot box, organizing envelopes and forms, and posting signs, posters, maps and sample ballots. Also, jobs will vary from setting up voting machines to ensure voter privacy to setting up electronic poll books for voter verification.

Are Officers of Election paid?

Yes. Officers of Election will be paid $25 to attend a training session and $125 for working on Election Day.

How do I become an Officer of Election?

If you are interested in protecting democracy and serving as an Officer of Election, call the Voter Registrar’s office at 382-5741 or email govote121@montgomerycountyva.gov.

Dog tag deadline

Dog tag purchases are due by Jan. 31. The cost is $5 per dog or $3 for spayed or neutered dogs.

A copy of the vaccination certification, signed by the veterinarian and including the veterinarian’s license number must be presented when purchasing a dog tag. The certification of vaccination must be marked spayed or neutered in order to purchase an unsexed tag.

Dog tags are available at the Treasurer's office, 755 Roanoke St., Christiansburg, and the Blacksburg Municipal Building, 300 S. Main St.

Victim Services Award

Commonwealth Attorney’s office Victim Assistance Coordinator Sabrina Porter recently won the Distinguished Victim Services Award at The Virginia Network for Victims and Witnesses of Crime Inc., conference in Williamsburg.

Porter was recognized by the nonprofit statewide crime victim advocacy group for her hard work and dedication to more than 400 victims and witnesses annually. She was nominated for the award by a victim and two local prosecutors. This distinguished award is the first received in the area.

The Victim/Witness Assistance Program helps victims and witnesses of crimes by providing information and support through the court process.

Shake off the winter doldrums

Check out the winter and spring programs offered by Parks and Recreation. A complete listing of activities is available in the latest brochure.

The brochure is on the Parks and Recreation website, or at the Government Center 755, Roanoke St., Christiansburg.

Discount RX cards offer savings 

Montgomery County residents filled 951 prescriptions at discounts averaging 23 percent under the County’s free prescription discount program over the past 18 months.

The prescription discount card program was started in 2010 to help consumers cope with the high price of prescriptions. The County is making the free prescription discount cards available under a program sponsored by the National Association of Counties (NACo) that offers savings off the retail price of commonly prescribed drugs.

The prescription discount card has been used by residents to save an average $11 per prescription. The total overall savings through the County program is more than $17,000 in the past 1.5 years.

The cards may be used by all County residents, regardless of age, income or existing health coverage, and are accepted at many pharmacies in the County (see complete list on the Montgomery County site). A national network of more than 60,000 participating retail pharmacies also honors the card.

Residents can print an ID card at Caremark. Cards are also available at the County Government Center, 755 Roanoke St., Christiansburg, and other locations. County residents can call toll free 1-877-321-2652 or visit Caremark for assistance with the program.

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