Why should I join or stay on as an LGA Member? The cost of membership isn’t very high, but $25 bucks is $25.00, or as I type this, about five gallons of gas. Do you feel you are getting your money’s worth by being a member? Let’s see if there is a measurable value to your membership.
Why do we live, play, and vacation here? For the lake of course. What would happen to property values if the lake somehow became polluted and you couldn’t fish or swim in it? What if the kids would get a rash from the water? It wasn’t that many years ago when Hydrilla, a nasty invasive plant species, was a big issue! The LGA and various local and regional partners were in the middle of getting this fixed and it’s no longer an issue. Yet, once again we are busy addressing the Lyngbya nuisance problem on our lake.
Our lake water quality is so good Virginia Beach and nearby counties use this lake as a source of drinking water. We also know when we get an unintentional mouthful of lake water, we can swallow it without fear of ingesting chemicals.
How about Taxes? If you are like me, my primary residence is elsewhere so I can’t vote in local elections. What would you do if taxes went up exorbitantly? As a non-voter, you would sit by helplessly. Did you know this was the very reason the predecessor organization of the LGA was formed? As said on our masthead, we are the voice of our membership. We aren’t miracle workers, and we know we can’t please everyone. However, we do our best to keep open lines of communication between county governments and the LGA. I guess you should ask yourself if you are better off with the LGA in place or not.
How about safety and security-related issues? Even full-timers can’t be at their house 24/7. The Public Safety Committee stays in touch with local law enforcement. Come to our September monthly meeting to hear all 5 county sheriff’s departments tell us what’s going on around the lake and in the communities. The LGA offers the Annual Jack D. Saunders Community Shred Event at no cost. The LGA pays for this out of membership dues. The event last May was the best attended ever but it’s costing more each year to get the shred truck here from Raleigh.
What Exactly is the Dominion Energy Partnership? We stay in close communication with Dominion to discuss issues of interest to our members, and they contact us (and we let our members know) if they anticipate conditions requiring raised water levels.
The LGA has the horsepower to pull off Candidate Forums and the Annual 5 County Forum for County Managers and Elected Officials. We also invite NC and VA Wildlife Officers to our meeting once a year to get the scoop on what’s happening at the lake. You also get to ask questions. The LGA brings in subject matter experts to talk about the logging trucks on our roads, solar residential use, local development both in Littleton and Warrenton, and what’s happening at the soon-to-be-opened Lakeland Cultural Arts Center, and we even sponsor the annual Lake Clean-Up Day.
I could go on and on – So why am I telling you all this? We have a little over 1,900 households and 100 businesses that care enough to pay for a membership. With 7,000 + homes at the lake, there are a lot of folks who are indifferent or maybe don’t know about the LGA. We are trying to reach those who are not aware of the LGA and what we do. People will spend money if they perceive value and dread the alternative. Please help us grow the membership as the dues directly support all our activities throughout the year.
In this issue, you will hear more about what we are doing to show value and why the LGA is important to the lake. Just think of the programs we could fund/support if we had 5,000 households who were willing to make the $25 annual investment or $250.00 for a lifetime membership.
I can assure you the LGA Board will continue to be good stewards of your dues and continue to support vital programs and initiatives that benefit the lake and all our residents.
Brian Goldsworthy