One member of a new working group formed to look at diversity issues in King George is asking county officials once again to remove a Confederate monument from the courthouse lawn.
Any such object âhonoring the Confederacy endorses racism,â said Robert Ashton, one of three members of the new Diversity Advisory Committee and the vice president of the King George chapter of the NAACP. He wondered why surrounding counties have taken action to remove symbols of the Confederacy âyet King George is reluctant to do so.â
âIt appears to me that we have not grown as we say we have,â he said during Tuesdayâs Board of Supervisorsâ meeting. âMy question is, do King George leaders want to preserve a past of oppression for people of color or move forward in unity for all its citizens?â
King George County wants to be ready on July 1 to impose a tax on cigarettes, and the deadline is lighting a fire under county officials.
The King George Board of Supervisors last week appointed a committee of county officials to research, review and report back to the board March 16 on whatâs needed to implement a cigarette tax by the first of July. Even though thereâs not much time to learn all the ropes involved with taxing what County Attorney Matt Britton described as a âhighly regulated industry,â supervisors stressed thereâs too much money at stake not to be ready.