James City County’s Board of Supervisors will soon vote on whether to align the terms for all five members, putting the full board up for election in the same year.
The board has switched the county’s policy between staggered and uniform terms over the past several years, with each vote being prompted by the party in power — Republicans advocating for uniform terms and Democrats pushing for staggered. After Republicans earned a 4-1 majority in November’s election, Republican Michael Hipple (Powhatan) asked the board to reconsider uniform terms during his first meeting as a supervisor Nov. 12.
The supervisors will resume its discussion Tuesday on uniform election terms, as well as consider a proposed radio tower on county land and a land sale in the Wellington subdivision. All of those topics had been deferred from the board’s last meeting of the year in December.
If the board votes in favor of uniform terms, the terms would align for all five supervisors in the 2019 election. Under the current structure, asupervisors election occurs every two years — the Jamestown and Powhatan supervisors are elected in the same year, and the Roberts, Berkeley and Stonehouse supervisors are elected two years later.
Keith White, a county resident, criticized the board at its last meeting for continually changing the policy because of partisan politics. He asked the board instead to allow the citizens decide by putting the issue up for a referendum vote.
The board will also consider issuing a special use permit for a proposed radio tower to Davis Media LLC, the parent company of local radio stations The Tide and BACHfm, as well as several other radio stations and online newspapers, including WYDaily. The tower would be a 104-foot monopole microwave tower on county land at 5249 Olde Towne Road. As part of the request for the tower, a lease agreement is also going before the board that would have Davis Media paying $250 per month to rent the tower.
At its December meeting, the board opted to defer the issue at its last meeting, citing unanswered questions and citizen concerns. Some citizens have expressed concern over the relationship between the county and a media outlet.
Additionally, the board will also reconsider selling a piece of land at 225 Meadowcrest Trail to Ryan Homes for $600,000. As a separate issue from the sale, the board will vote on rezoning the property and issuing a special use permit so the land can be developed into housing as part of the Wellington neighborhood.
Two family subdivisions, four grant awards and housekeeping changes to the county’s personnel policies and procedures manual are also on the agenda.
The board will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Building F at 101 Mounts Bay Road. The full meeting agenda is available online. Meetings are broadcast live online and on JCC TV channel 48 and are rebroadcast at 8 a.m., 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Thursdays on Community Channel 46.
