PHIL MISKOVIC
Last year the Town of Crewe urged the Nottoway County Board of Supervisors to approach the courthouse decision with transparency and objective analysis.
Since then, the Board has moved through the PPEA process and selected a firm. That is a significant step, but the public has yet to be given basic information needed to understand what is being proposed, what alternatives were considered, and why one path is being advanced ahead of the others.
This is not about assigning blame; it is about good government. When the County is making a long-term decision that taxpayers will be shouldering for decades, the public deserves a clear, complete evaluation before a direction becomes a commitment.
Options
Supervisors still have three practical options:
•Renovate the existing courthouse to meet the court’s requirements.
•Build new near the current site.
•Build a new facility within a town.
Within those options, additional sites and approaches deserve equal, objective consideration.
Land in Crewe’s historic downtown has been offered for donation as a potential courthouse site.
A newer possibility is the former Burkeville Elementary School — a large existing structure on roughly 45 acres in the southeast corner of the Town of Burkeville, located both inside and outside the town limits.
While either of those latter two options would require a referendum, they could positively affect overall cost, timeline, and long-term benefits.
Pause, Reset, & Evaluate
At this point, the responsible step is a pause and reset. Before the County goes further down one track, the Board should direct a full, apples-to-apples evaluation of every viable option and site. That evaluation should be public, easy to follow, and based on the same set of measures for each alternative.
At a minimum, it should include estimated construction costs, longterm maintenance and capital replacement costs, and operating costs such as utilities and infrastructure needs. It must also include the ongoing cost of stabilizing and maintaining the historic courthouse if the County builds a new facility. A new courthouse does not eliminate responsibility for the old one.
The County should also require an economic impact study for each option. An economic impact study is an independent analysis of how a courthouse location affects local spending, nearby business activity, property values, and local tax revenue over time. It helps residents understand the long-term trade-offs — not just the upfront price tag.
Paying for it All
Grant funding exists to support feasibility work, cost comparisons, and required studies before major commitments are made. The Board should pursue planning grants — including VEDP (VA Eco. Dev. Partnership) and DHR (Dept. of Historic Resources) grants — to help pay for the independent evaluations that taxpayers deserve.
There are also ways to reduce longterm taxpayer burden. Grants, historic tax credits, and more creative PPEA proposals can offset construction costs. In the right setting, a proposal that pairs a public facility with compatible private development can help finance construction while receiving significant state support.
Nottoway taxpayers deserve a decision built on clear facts, fair comparisons, and a process the public can follow.
One year later, the best course is to slow down, share the data, and make sure every option has been fully and objectively evaluated before moving forward.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Phil Miskovic is the former Mayor and current Town Manager of Crewe as well as a former President of the Nottoway Historical Association. He is currently a Ph. D. candidate in Public Administration.
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