2025/2026 Hotel Occupancy Tax Revenues -a Record 2.7 million Dollars

Chealsea Faulknier, the Director of the Pocahontas County CVB delivered their 2025-2026 Annual Report to the Pocahontas County Commissioners at the September 15^th commission meeting. She said that the received annual Hotel Occupancy Tax Revenues last year set a record of 2.7 million dollars, and that the CVB was re-accredited in 2025. Faulknier also reported that there were 63,000 visits to their Visitor Center and 450,000 visits to their website. Some other achievements included distribution of 82,000 visitor guides and increased their collaboration with local groups such as: SHARC; the Broadband Council; and Natures Mountain Classroom. The CVB has also remained involved with trail maintenance, the promotion of out heritage and culture, and working with tourism business partners.

Additionally at the meeting, new Solid Waste Authority Board member Nancy Harris spoke during public Input, claiming that County Clerk Missy Bennett spoke at a recent Special Solid Waste Authority (SWA) meeting saying that if anyone has issues with courthouse hours, with courthouse employees, or if they object to courthouse employees bringing children to the workplace, they should direct those complaints to her. Harris said those were untruthful statements by Bennett. Harris added that Bennett also abused her position as County Clerk by claiming to be speaking as a private citizen at that SWA meeting, while actually speaking as the County Clerk.  Harris went on to allege that Bennett also said that she had learned that an applicant for one of the SWA Secretary positions had been told by Nancy Harris to not come in for an interview for that job since she doesn’t have a college degree or enough experience. Harris claimed that was another untruth told by Bennett. Harris explained said she had just advised the applicant that while she was welcome to appear for the interview, it might not be worth her missing work for it because they had many better-qualified applicants, some with college degrees.

Bennet responded to Harris’s allegations, saying that while she probably should not have brought up that job applicant at the SWA meeting, she had been careful to not use the applicant’s name. She said she had mentioned it out of concern that Harris might be denying interviews to applicants simply because they don’t have college degrees or a lot of experience. Bennett acknowledged that may have been a misunderstanding of what she had been told. She also said any discussion about hours concerned her own office’s hours, not courthouse hours. Bennett also said her knowledge and experience as a 31-year county employee is an inseparable part of her personality, so she regrets saying at that SWA meeting that she was only speaking as a private citizen. She emphasized that she said at that meeting that her remarks did not represent County Commission opinions.

Brie Rexrode spoke next and announced that she was the job applicant Bennett and Harris had been referring to. Rexrode said she had contacted Lisa, who is a friend and an employee of the County Clerk’s Office, to inquire about the status of her job application for a position in the County Clerk’s Office. She said Lisa told her it is still pending. When Lisa mentioned there was also a job opening at Solid Waste, she told Lisa she had already applied for that, but had been advised by Harris that since there were a lot of more qualified and experienced applicants than her, she might be wasting her time and needlessly missing work at her present job if she came in for an interview. But, Rexrode added that Harris had also made it clear that she could come in for the interview if she wanted to. Rexrode added Lisa may have misunderstood her and thought she had been denied an opportunity to be interviewed, explaining:

“I did say things which would make it seem that was what I was saying, Lisa…”

Rexrode also said she did not come here to attack Bennett, Lisa, or anyone else, and only wanted to set the record straight about what was said about her at a public meeting.

Commission President John Rebinski said he was happy that this situation between Rexrode and Bennett seems to have worked itself out amicably. However, he went on to accused Harris of having continually posted false information and lies on her Facebook page about the commission being in control of the SWA. Harris responded and blamed that on state agencies giving her incorrect information.

Commissioner Thane Ryder also spoke up, saying:

“I have been ridiculed and slandered on Facebook by a person that is now a public official,  and that’s  Ms. Nancy Harris,” said Ryder. “…When our meetings  was held upstairs, I was yelled at by her husband -I don’t think she actually yelled at me during those meetings – but yelled at by a lot of people by and for the reason that things that were on her Facebook page were misconstrued …. I never called anybody a liar, not one time.  No matter what they said to me. I never disrespected any person, not one single time, no matter what they said to me…. It was an eye-opening experience for me, as the newest County Commissioner to see what people would just pile on a Facebook page and do, whether they really believed it‘s the truth and spread it or not. And whenever it hits that setting, you can’t stop it, it just rolls and rolls…. You’re just making yourself look small when you have to attack people that way.”

Also, at the meeting the commissioners:

• Opened and awarded the only bid received, from Mid-State Chevrolet for the purchase a full-sized police Taho pursuit vehicle for the Sheriff’s Office at a cost of $58,814.76.
• Received an update on the Broadband Project from Amanda Smarr, who said construction should be finished in several weeks, and customers can start receiving service in January or February.
• Approved Resolution #5 for the PMH Wastewater Project at a cost of $22,393.75 to pay invoices.
• Approved payment of 2,697,73 for invoices for Resolution for the EPA Tannery Project.
• Approved the 911 Center to hire Jared Lee Paul as a probationary Part-Time Dispatcher at $14.00 per hour.
• Approved the election Officials for the November Elections, and the County clerk’s Financial Statement and Vender List.
• Approved the Animal Control to hire Kerry Joe Branch as a part-time employee at $12.00 per hour.
• And appointed Janet Kershner-Vanover and Todd Wright to the Fire Board.