Well, here we are in 2022. It’s too early to predict what kind of year it will be. After living through the last two, I believe about anything will be better. However, I am optimistic.
We celebrated the coming of the new year much like we have in years past. We gathered with our extended family, ate too much and ushered in another year. Jeanine and I did better than some past years. We have been known to have our heads hit the pillow about the time the big ball finishes it’s decent. This year we managed about an hour after mid-night and for us… that’s pretty good.
I guess the bad news is I still have several item on my To Do List that will have to be carried over. With work and the holidays, my good intentions haven’t made much progress.
While we don’t know what the new year will be like, I have at least one hope. I hope people in our county will get a break when it comes to going to the gas pumps. For a number of years, we faired well. We were right with the group of services stations with some of the lowest prices in the state. That certainly hasn’t been the case this past year. We are the highest price in the area. One only has to travel to Weston to see the difference. Gas is 34 cents a gallon cheaper just 34 miles down the road. I try to look at the rise and fall of gas prices rationally. Often there are contributing factors. In this case I simply don’t see it. Judging by the number of complaints that come to our office, it appears the general public doesn’t get it either. The President released millions of barrels from the national reserve. That was supposed to reduce gas prices. It sure didn’t in Braxton County. I realize we are not a metropolitan area with lots of competition, but I certainly can see no reason our prices should be that much higher. I hope we get a break in 2022.
Speaking of complaints… I fielded three calls late last week from taxpayers that were upset at the courthouse closing on Thursday and Friday without notification to the public. The callers were all ready to pay their taxes before the end of the month to avoid penalties, only to travel to Sutton and find the courthouse closed. It happens every year. This year it was a little worse than usual. The governor gives state employees the half day off they are scheduled to work before Christmas and on New Year Eve. This year he came back and gave more time since the holidays fell on the weekend. The county follows the Governor’s lead which is not new. However, they should be more considerate and at lease make an attempt to notify the public that the actual deadline to pay taxes is not the last day of the month.
With gas and taxes out of the way, we can move on the bigger and better things in 2022!
Devoted to Braxton County, West Virginia
