By: Mat Cloak
The Parsons Advocate
Of the 823 Tucker County residents that voted in the special election, 655 voted for the road bond amendment and 168 voted against it. Over a four-year period, $1.6 billion in state bonds will be issued. Tucker County will receive 98 million, vastly outweighing distributions to neighboring counties.
On his Facebook page, Governor Justice stated, “This is the most historical vote in the state of West Virginia.” The Governor vowed to create a task force to oversee the road bond projects.
On the local scale, County Clerk Sherry Simmons was pleased with the results as well. “I would like to thank the voters who came out and voted, and supported not only the road bond, but looking beyond what the road bond will mean to Tucker County and to all 55 counties in the state of West Virginia,” Simmons said.
“I think it is a great thing for Tucker County, it gives money to another section of Corridor H,” Commissioner Patrick Darlington said. “I think it will definitely provide jobs and stimulate the economy with people coming into the area.”
Voter turnout was dismally low for the special election. The low voter turnout was not exclusive to Tucker County. Only about 10 percent of West Virginians voted. Tucker County normally has around 60 percent turnout. Simmons attributed the low numbers to the short timeline of the election as well as competition with extracurricular activities such as festivals, hunting, and sporting events.
Many are hailing the success of the special election as a pivotal moment for an area fighting a drug epidemic, economic depression, and beat up roads. According to U.S. Department of Transportation data collection in 2013, 47 percent of West Virginia roads were “poor or mediocre,” 35.3 percent of bridges were “deficient or obsolete,” and vehicle repairs due to road conditions were $273 per vehicle.
Governor Justice said the possibility of economic development might help the drug epidemic throughout the state. “They’ve spoken loudly. They’ve spoken with a mandate. And they’ve spoken that they want jobs, and want opportunity, and change. And they want hope,” Governor Justice said.
Some are critical of the road bond because they expect the job opportunities to go to out-of-state companies and workers.
