Checks & Balances Project (C&BP) has received multiple tips from readers concerned about the alleged activities of Sussex County Board of Supervisors Chairman Steve White and his leadership of the Stony Creek Volunteer Rescue Squad.
C&BP is working to corroborate the details mentioned in these tips and determine if they are accurate. They are posted here to encourage other readers to provide additional information we can use to verify the accuracy of the tips.
One tip said the tipster had worked in Sussex County when supervisors voted to terminate the fire chief and his deputy. The tipster included an email the tipster represents was sent to state Sen. Lashrecse Aird, a Democrat who represents Sussex County, that included the following details:
“I am writing to express my serious concerns regarding the recent decision by the Sussex County Board of Supervisors to terminate the Fire Chief and Assistant Fire Chief, effective December 1st, 2025, and to revoke the Fire and Rescue Ordinance. These actions have the potential to adversely impact public safety and undermine community trust.
“Although I am not a resident, as a healthcare professional and patient safety advocate, I am troubled by the lack of transparency, particularly the absence of meeting minutes since April 2025. Transparency and accountability are vital to maintaining confidence and stability in emergency services.
“I respectfully urge state leaders to provide oversight to evaluate the long-term implications of these decisions and to prioritize the safety and well-being of Sussex County residents.
In a second reported email to Aird, the tipster alleges that Supervisor Steve White voted on September 18, 2025 to direct $500,000 from taxpayers to the SCVRS, which he chairs.
Retreat led to defunding
During a Sept. 18, 2025, supervisors “retreat,” the tipster reportedly told Aird, supervisors conducted a closed session to discuss the county’s emergency medical services funding. After the session, they apparently then voted to “to transfer control of EMS operations back to the rescue squads, specifically Stoney Creek Volunteer and the incorporated Waverly Rescue Squad.
- To allocate approximately $1.2 million to the Waverly Rescue Squad for operational expenses.
- To allocate approximately $500,000 to Stoney Creek for their operations. [Emphasis added]
- To allow the current EMS contract which Sussex Fire and Rescue signed to expire.”
If true, it appears that White may have had a direct conflict of interest that could be illegal under state law (Va. Code § 2.2-3112), and that he voted to give SCVRS access to half a million dollars in taxpayer money for an organization that showed a $300,000 surplus from 2015 to 2019.
There are no minutes from this meeting on the county website, and the agenda packet before the meeting included no details about the fire chief or EMS services. There is also no recording of the meeting on the Sussex County YouTube channel.
Ray Locker is the executive director for Checks & Balances Project, an investigative watchdog blog holding government officials, lobbyists, and corporate management accountable to the public. Funding for C&BP is provided by Renew American Prosperity and individual donors.
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