By David Karaffa
Supervisor, Beverley Manor District, Augusta County
It is now unlawful for someone to stand on the side of the road, hold a sign, and accept money from motorists. At the October 22, 2014, public meeting of the Augusta County Board of Supervisors, a new Panhandling Ordinance was passed.
I supported this ordinance for Augusta County. I don’t believe it is a safe practice to have individuals standing on the side of the road disrupting traffic. Far too many times I have witnessed folks walk out in front of vehicles causing delays and sudden stops in traffic that created an opportunity for accidents.
In reality, many communities have ordinances and laws in place to prohibit panhandling. As a result, many of the panhandlers that we have seen in Augusta County are from outside our region and even out of state.
Panhandling has also brought about many other undesirable problems. One such problem was highlighted in a recent News Leader Article where a panhandler was also dealing heroin on the side of the road in our area.
These reasons and many others have been instrumental in my support for ending panhandling in Augusta County. It is my hope that the roads and our county will be safer with our new ordinance in place which took effect immediately.
If you have any questions or concerns please email me at DavidKaraffa@comcast.net.
