From the Albemarle BOS meeting of Wednesday, March 9, 2016: "We'll engage at another time.&

“The Supervisors are not here,” said Tom, “to engage with you.”

Are you kidding me?

“They’re here to listen.”

You have to be kidding me!

“We’ll engage,” added Ann, “at another time.”

The Tom here is Albemarle County Executive Tom Foley. The Ann is Albemarle Supervisor Ann Mallek (Democrat, White Hall).

Of course, the guy not being “kidded” here is me, sitting at home — stunned — in front of my laptop screaming at the video streaming of the Wednesday night Supervisors meeting where Tom and Ann made these remarks at 9:06 p.m. to a nearly empty Albemarle County Office Building.

So, what exactly is this all about?

For me it’s about six Supervisors who maybe aren’t as interested in face-to-face conversations with voters and taxpayers as they purport to be.

Before last evening, the Albemarle Board of Supervisors had already scheduled and advertised four community engagement meetings with constituents about:

• a new $375 million budget proposal;

• an effective 4.07% tax rate increase;

• higher real estate property assessments;

• a hike in vehicle registration fees.

Then Tom announces late last night — with his six BOS Democrats agreeing —that all of us paying Albemarle County’s bills won’t be allowed to interact with Supervisors while County staff perform their four “Overcoming the Challenge” Power Point shows at Jack Jouett Middle School, Monticello High School, Western Albemarle High School, and the North Garden Fire Station between March 15 and April 7.

Why even show up?

We’re not to engage at these budget performances with any of the six people responsible for sending us to the tax collector’s window twice a year?

We’re not to engage at these budget performances with the six people accountable to us at the ballot box once every four years?

Indeed, why even show up?

Foley’s Follies premiered February 23, 2016. The replay is available for free, in-home viewing at:

http://albemarle.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=1&clip_id=42.

Meanwhile, Ann — and Brad, Norm, Rick, Diantha, and Liz — just e-mail me when you have real engagement dates set “at another time.”