New leadership and dedicated volunteers helped this small Appalachian town 'persevere' after almost losing its charter

Pound, Virginia is slowing rebounding.
(Photo by Megan Schnabel, Cardinal News)

Despite personal battles and an embezzlement scandal, the town of Pound in Wise County, Virginia, is still a town, which for some people is a shocker. "In early 2022, the town, pop. 877 and falling, was facing an existential crisis, brought on by years of infighting and dysfunction, reports Megan Schnabel of Cardinal News in southwest Virginia. "A top General Assembly member — the region's own delegate — had threatened that the state would yank the town's charter. He was tired of seeing stories in the local news about how town council members couldn't get along, about fiscal improprieties, polluted water, misplaced drugs and guns in the police department."

The news that Pound might cease to exist moved some townspeople to buckle down, fight for what was good in the town, and fix past mistakes. "Leabern Kennedy was elected to the town council in 2021 on a platform of changing the status quo, is now the vice mayor and a driving force behind Pound's revitalization," Schnabel writes. Kennedy told Schnabel: "I think we have shocked the world because I don't think anyone expected us to come back. I'm OK with that."

Map by Robert Lunsford,
Cardinal News

Part of Pound's recovery included leadership changes, with elected and hired officials working together. "The town has chosen a new mayor and replaced half its council members. It paid off almost $9,000 in debt and hired a part-time clerk-treasurer," Schnabel reports. Cindy Mullins, a Pound police officer who was hired in 2021, told Schnabel, "So it's going to take some time to pull back out of this and to really fully function again. . . . It goes back to the trust of the people, the trust of the community and other communities at large to be able to look at us and respect us."

The town's budget is small, and every penny counts as town leaders work to set finances right alongside developing tourist attractions along the scenic Pound River. Debbie Hale, a town volunteer, has worked on grant applications. "Hale won a grant to buy four GRIT Freedom Chairs, which look something like a cross between a mountain bike and a wheelchair and allow people with limited mobility to explore off-road. . . . Pound is still dealing with some issues that send up red flags for state and federal grant programs. . . . One problem is capacity. . . . Another challenge: the town’s fiscal history."

"One source of help during the turmoil, and still today, was the Virginia Municipal League. Its executive director, Michelle Gowdy, spoke on Pound’s behalf during legislative hearings over the town’s future," Schnabel writes. "She and her team have helped Pound’s leaders get trained on budgeting, Freedom of Information Act compliance and other municipal matters. . . ."