The James City County Board of Supervisors reversed its February decision not to accept about $150,000 in state grant money.
On Feb. 25, the board voted 3-2 — with Supervisors Jim Kennedy (Stonehouse) and John McGlennon (Roberts) in the minority — against accepting the grant funds, which could be used to purchase private property development rights in an effort to protect specific land from development. On Tuesday, the board voted 4-1, with Chairwoman Mary Jones (Berkeley) opposed, to reverse its original decision and accept the money.
Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Office of Farmland Preservation awarded the grant so the county could protect farm and forest property that meets specific requirements. When the grant came before the board for acceptance, Jones asked it to be pulled from the board’s consent agenda, which is voted on as a block.
“From my standpoint, my concern is I think that there are other priorities where taxpayer money needs to go in James City County and in the country,” Jones said at the February meeting.
McGlennon was the lone supervisor to push for the grants acceptance in February, and he brought forward a motion to accept the grant at Tuesday’s meeting.
Under the grant program, the county is entitled to the funding, McGlennon said. He said the money could be used to reimburse the county for money it already spent rather than on the purchase of new development rights.
Jones stood firm by her original vote, saying there are other priorities for spending taxpayer money.
Supervisors Kevin Onizuk (Jamestown) and Michael Hipple (Powhatan) reversed their February votes and opted for taking the money.
Onizuk said the county’s program to protect land is “popular with our citizens and it does get a lot of community support.”
Hipple struggled with the decision, but eventually voted in favor of reversing the decision.
“It’s not magical money that just floated in on a carpet,” Hipple said. “The money comes from taxpayers, whether they live in James City County or somewhere else.”
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